Coping
by ATHPluver
Summary: When the winter thawed and summer returned to Arendelle, Elsa is finally able to return to a somewhat normal life with her little sister. Meanwhile Anna is trying to understand the rules and tasks of a princess are, and trying to balance her new and growing relationship with Kristoff. How can they cope with all that's being thrown at them? Rated T, no flames please! Two pairings.
1. Chapter 1: Return to Normal

**So, by popular demand, the readers of _Elsa & Anna_, another one of my Frozen fan fictions, wanted _Coping_ to become a new story. If you guys haven't read _Elsa & Anna_ please do because I'm continuing that one as well. It's about the sisters and their bond throughout life. A collection of one shots, really.**

**But this story is different. The first two chapters are from _Elsa & Anna_ so if you already read them, please bare with me! Thank you!**

**It takes place two weeks ****after the movie.**

**Disclaimer: Disney owns FROZEN**

* * *

She tiptoed across the floor, her feet muffled by her socks. The only sound she could hear was the crashing sea outside of the castle windows, where the ships were sleeping amongst the fjord. The moonlight was leaking through the cool glass and bathing the floors in its glow. Anna shivered a little, the castle always so cold at night, no matter what time of year it was. The stone exterior kept little heat inside but tended to absorb plenty during the day. How it escaped the enclosure, Anna had no idea.

Her feet took the familiar turn down the hallway and into a longer one, where a single white door was implanted inside the wooden walls. The blue, blocky designs of snowflakes painted still, making it unique compared to the other doors. Anna crept over to it, wondering if Elsa was still awake at this hour. Since Anna had trouble sleeping, she thought that Elsa could keep her company until she felt tired again.

Elsa wasn't her first choice, however, because Anna knew that it would have been rude to immediately go there first. She had journeyed to the library and read a few short stories from her favorite novel but it didn't put her to sleep. The kitchen was open to only one late night chef and he served her a glass of warm milk. Anna drank two cups of the stuff but she still remained wide awake. She went on a walk around the castle grounds and peaked into the stables to see if Kristoff was awake. The blond mountain man had been snoozing in a pile of hay with Sven by his side so Anna was left alone with no other options but her sister.

Her had twitched as she reached for the handle. It had been a long time since she asked Elsa the question. Well, 'asked' isn't quite the word. Anna never asked permission for this ever but Elsa didn't mind in the slightest. They used to do it all the time as kids, especially when Anna was a very little girl and was terrified of everything at night. Elsa was always there to offer a hand to comfort her.

Without anymore hesitation, Anna opened the door and stepped inside, gently closing it behind her. The door fell back in place with a tiny _click_ and Anna was standing against it, her nightgown illuminated by the moon pouring in from Elsa's window. Anna's blue eyes absorbed the room around her, taking in the ice that formed around the glass to the sleeping figure that controlled the cold, curled up in her blue bed, snoring ever-so-softly. Anna stepped over to her silently and came to a halt at the side of the bed. Elsa was on the other edge, facing Anna, her hands clasped in front of her face, her lips parted slightly. Her white bangs were falling in her eyes, closed tight in the deep slumber and her mind drifting off into a world of peaceful dreams.

Anna bit her lip and slowly peeled back the covers on the empty side. As quietly as she could, she sunk into the mattress and snuggled the blankets over her, resting her head on the pillow. Elsa was still asleep, unknowing that Anna had snuck into her bed for the night. With a satisfied nod, happy about her success, Anna gazed at the canopy of the bed and let her back adjust to the position. She listened to the ticking of Elsa's grandfather clock in the corner and the crickets outside in the summer night. Her fingers laced together and rested on her stomach as she lay there, thinking of how she would explain herself to her sister in the morning.

After some time of just resting amongst the warm sheets and comforters, Anna felt her eyes grow heavy. Finally, she was able to shut her eyes and sleep. She adjusted herself so she was resting on her stomach, her head facing away from Elsa, and tucked her arms beneath the pillow for extra head support. Midnight struck as she drifted off, a chaste smile on her lips.

* * *

A very sudden, very short, but _very loud_ snore woke Elsa up at once. The queen opened her eyes and scrunched her eyebrows together, peering through the darkness as her orbs adjusted to the moonlight. A small figure was buried beneath the covers and strawberry blond hair was starting to stick out of its braided head. It took Elsa's sleepy brain to register that someone was in her bed with her. When it hit her fully, her eyes widened and she shimmied backwards, almost toppling out of the covers and onto the hardwood floor.

The figure turned in its sleep and revealed itself as Anna, Elsa calmed and moved back to her spot and pursed her lips. With a small humph, she poked Anna in the cheek twice before the princess woke with a start, sitting up and blinking sleepily.

"What happened?" she sputtered. "What'd I miss?"

"Anna," Elsa said, sitting up, too, leaning back on her hands. "You're in my bed."

"Huh— oh, I guess I am," Anna spoke with a guilty giggle. "Sorry, Elsa. I couldn't sleep."

"You didn't ask me if you could sleep in here," Elsa said sternly.

Anna waved her off. "Oh, Elsa! Calm _down_. We used to do this all the time!" She collapsed back onto the bed and peered up into her sister's face. Elsa twisted her body so she could look back at her. Anna's eyes were shining like the moon, a little grin playing on her face.

"You aren't mad at me, are you?"

Elsa shook her head.

"You don't mind if I stay?"

"Don't you think we're a little old for this?"

"No." Anna put her hands behind her head and closed her eyes, relaxing in the warmth of the bed. "Not at all, Elsa! It's not weird, either."

"I never said it was."

She opened one eye and observed her. "Your face did."

Elsa blinked, raising an eyebrow. She mouthed 'my face' and Anna giggled, closing her eye again. She let out a joyful sigh and snuggled even deeper into the mattress. Elsa lay back down and turned on her side to look at Anna. The princess's smile began to fade a little, both of her eyes cracking open and staring blankly at the canopy. Elsa followed her gaze, resting on her back as well, and they fell into silence, the ticking of the clock the only thing breaking it.

"Crazy stuff, huh," Anna said.

"What are you talking about?" Elsa replied.

"Y'know— everything."

Elsa smirked and let out a small snicker from her nose. "I guess so. It was crazy for a long time."

Anna bit her lip. "D'you think that Kristoff is happy here?"

"Where'd that come from?"

The princess shrugged.

"Anna…"

"Never mind."

"No, tell me."

"It's stupid… It's a waste of breath and time."

Elsa wasn't so sure how to continue the conversation. Anna didn't sound like she wanted to talk about it anymore but her eyes were dancing with concern, obviously wanting to press on with the discussion. Instead of saying anything more, she kept staring at the canopy and sighed heavily.

Anna's body heat beside her was comforting. Elsa fondly remembered how Anna would surreptitiously crawl into her bed at night when they still shared a room. The princess had a habit of snoring and moving around in bed, often causing her hair to go rouge and flyaway. But Elsa always found Anna's presence to be relaxing. When Anna was three, when she first snuck in, Elsa unconsciously held Anna all night long. Her parents told her the next morning, before they had woken the girls up, they had looked so content with each other that the King and Queen almost didn't want to disturb them.

"Hey, Elsa," Anna whispered after a beat.

"Hm?"

"Can we… can…"

She trailed off.

"Can we what?"

It took Anna a second to reply. She smiled wistfully and her eyes glazed over as childhood memories flooded through her mind's eye. The nights they spent just giggling, Elsa creating a snowstorm downstairs, building a fort of blankets and pillows and falling asleep together under a pile of warmth, Elsa braiding Anna's hair and reading to her, teaching Anna to read, the two of them growing up together until Elsa's mistake… all of the memories made nostalgia settle in Anna. The wish that it could go back to the way it was.

"Can we move back together?"

Elsa turned her head. So did Anna. Their eyes clashed as Anna's words seeped into Elsa's mind. She squinted a little.

"What do you mean?"

"Can we be like we used to be and share a room again? At least until one of us gets married or something." Anna grinned again. "Like how we used to. The walk to your room gets awfully cold at night."

Elsa stared at her for a moment before breaking into a grin, too, and rolling onto her back, laughing. It was something Anna hadn't heard for a long time. Elsa's true, _genuine_ laugh. Not the queen-like giggle or the suppressed laughter she would hide. But the laughter that was resonating her childhood. Anna blinked.

"Did I say something funny?" she questioned.

"Oh, Anna," Elsa giggled, running a hand through her bangs. She turned on her side and hugged her sister. "I missed you."

"You… you what?" Anna stammered, not fully understanding what Elsa meant.

"I missed you," Elsa repeated, tucking a strand of hair behind Anna's ear.

"So… that's a yes?"

"Of course," Elsa murmured, letting go of Anna. "We can move back together. I'll put in the request tomorrow morning. That sound nice?" She returned to her spot in the bed and pulled the covers close to her body, closing her eyes.

Anna's face lit up. "You mean it?"

Elsa peeked at her. "I promise."

Anna squeaked out and crawled on top of Elsa, putting all her weight onto the queen. Elsa felt the breath leave her lungs as the dead weight collapsed over her body.

"Wait, no, Anna!" she gasped, trying to shove her off. "I can't breathe."

"I'm not moving," Anna protested, wriggling her arms under Elsa's back and embracing her. "Good night, Elsa!"

Elsa unstuck her arms from her grip and rested them on Anna's shoulders, just as she had done when they were kids. Anna's head was underneath Elsa's chin as she fell asleep again, snoring softly as her dreams carried her off to a far off land.

It took Elsa a few more minutes to fully sleep again. She was letting her eyelids fall by themselves, a content smile on her face as she listened to the sounds of her sister's slumber. When her eyes finally did close completely, she slipped away and her grip on Anna slackened.

* * *

The following morning, Elsa woke up curled in a ball, her arms clutching her pillow. She was facing the window, the weak morning sun hitting her in the face. Elsa moaned and turned around, finding Anna's hair disheveled and sticking out in every direction. She was drooling a little, the side of her face pressed down in her arm. Elsa snickered and sat up, yawning and stretching. She made a circle with her finger and a cold wind blew the windows open, allowing fresh air to dance into the room.

Elsa hugged her knees from underneath the blankets and watched the outside world as birds flew by and the sounds of the hustle and bustle of the morning rush in the town square floated up to her ears. Anna let out a loud snore and woke herself up, sitting up wildly and smacking her lips in a very un-princess-like manner.

"G'morning!" she slurred, rubbing her eyes. "Mmm— how'd ya sleep?"

"I slept well," Elsa said, her eyes still gazing outside, following the shift of the clouds in the bright blue sky. "How about you?"

"Wonderful," Anna replied, flopping back down onto her back and stretching her legs. "I could get used to sleeping here."

"Don't," Elsa chuckled. "We'll be close enough anyway."

"But, Elsaaaaaa," Anna whined, pouting.

"Annaaaaa," Elsa countered, turning and tossing her pillow into Anna's face. "I need my bed for myself every once in a while."

"_Fine_," Anna scoffed, slumping out of Elsa's bed and stretching her arms. "I'm gonna go get dressed and maybe go to the market. Wanna come?"

Elsa paused and considered the offer. Then her mind drifted away to the night before, Anna wondering about Kristoff but never fully getting to the point of things. She smiled and shook her head.

"No, actually, why don't you ask Kristoff," Elsa said. "Perhaps he could help you pick out a few items for next week's Traders Ball. I've other things to attend to this morning."

"Ask… ask Kristoff?" Anna repeated, her face flushing, making her morning appearance look quite comical with her face red and hair a rat's nest. "I dunno about that."

"Oh, come on, Anna!" Elsa encouraged, getting out of bed and going to her dresser. "Go and have fun. All my stuff is boring anyway and I can only trust _your_ judgement on the chocolate items."

Anna's face perked up when 'chocolate' was said. She shrugged with a pursed smile, backing away to the door.

"Allllright, then," Anna agreed. "See you later, Elsa!"

"Have a good day," Elsa called after her as she threw the door open and ran down the hall back to her room.

* * *

"Don't you think that's enough?" Kristoff said to Anna.

His morning had been normal for the most part. Getting up, feeding Sven, and lounging around the stables. Suddenly Anna had bounced inside and his morning routine took a turn for the _what just happened_? She had dragged him away from Sven and the stables, dressed him in his new vest, and linked her arm with his so he couldn't get away. The next thing he knew he was following her around the shops of Arendelle, looking for chocolate items for some ball Elsa was throwing to celebrate harmonious relations with their trade partners from Corona, France, and a few other places that Kristoff hadn't heard because, frankly, he wasn't paying attention when the girls were talking about it.

Now Anna's basket was full of chocolate and she was still looking for more. All of that candy was making Kristoff's jaw ache just looking at it.

"Enough? No, it's not _nearly_ enough," Anna protested, her eyes skimming over chocolates of all kinds. "Ooh, is this imported?" she asked the shopkeeper. "I've never seen that wrapper before!"

"Yes, indeed, your Highness," the shopkeeper said, her warm brown eyes just as sweet as the chocolate she sold. "Highest grade chocolate from Germany."

"Mmm, sounds amazing," Anna mused.

"Anna, can I go?" Kristoff begged, leaning against a shelf full of display platters.

"You're not going anywhere until I'm done, Kristoff," she scolded, still not looking at him. "I think…" She trailed off, pursing her lips and staring down at the candy. "I think Elsa would like _this_ one because it's a dark kind— and she tends to like the bitterness— but, _oh!_ That one has a cake recipe the chefs could whip up but, oh, Kristoff do you like dark or milk?"

"Why ask me?"

"Because you're here and you're supposed to be helping me!"

"I was dragged here against my will."

"Ah, but you were at the will of a princess," she countered coyly, peering over her shoulder and giving him a flirtatious smile.

Kristoff felt his ears burn with embarrassment. She blushed, too, hearing herself and looked back at the chocolate quickly.

"Pick, Kristopher," she demanded, changing the subject.

"Don't call me that," he said dryly, walking over to the counter and gazing into the glass.

"Pick!" she said, poking him in his thick head.

"Uh… well, if Elsa likes dark then make a dark chocolate cake and I suggest a milk chocolate finger food for the guests because most people prefer milk over dark," Kristoff said, scratching the back of his neck.

"That… is a great idea!" Anna squealed. She turned to the shopkeeper. "What he said, please!"

"Right away, your Highness." The shopkeeper bowed and began to sort their purchase out.

"Ooh, Kristoff!" Anna sighed, standing on tiptoe and planting a big kiss on his cheek. "You're the best. Thank you." She lowered herself to the ground and got their things.

When they went out into the town, the summer sun hitting them full force, Kristoff bent down and kissed her right back. Anna froze as he kept walking, smirking to himself. Since when was he so bold with his kisses?

"Hey! That's not fair," Anna protested, rushing after him.

"Too bad," Kristoff taunted, taking her hand in his own. "Come on. You wanted to get me fitted for a formal suit?"

"You really want to?" Excitement filled Anna's eyes.

He shrugged indifferently but couldn't help but to smile at her fondness. "I'm out aren't I?"

"Yay!" Anna giggled and dragged him up the street and towards the tailor.

* * *

Elsa stared. She couldn't help herself. Anna was standing next to her, her chin resting between her finger and thumb, her tongue sticking out in deep thought. They exchanged looks with one another before they burst out laughing, leaning against the wall behind them for support. Kristoff smacked his forehead with his hand and peeked out from between his fingers. Who let Sven inside was the big question.

The reindeer was standing in the middle of the ballroom, servants all around him, trying to grab the poor buck so they could remove the lanterns from his antlers. One of the male servants ran forward and tried to grab Sven from behind but he skidded away, snorting and bucking, his eyes a little scared. Kai barked at a chef to try and guide Sven over with some carrots but Sven kept on snorting and backing away in all different directions. Never in his life did Kristoff see Sven so afraid of people. Maybe the big guy was guilty, not really afraid. Kristoff stepped forward and calmly coaxed Sven to come to him. When he did, the Ice Master tenderly rid him of the party lights and handed them to Kai, an apologetic smile on his face.

The butler straightened his tail coat with dignity and stormed off, the others following him. Kristoff and Sven were left only with the sounds of the howling laughter of the sisters.

"It wasn't funny!" Kristoff argued, patting his buddy on the head. "Oh, Sven, what happened to you, huh?"

"_I messed up really bad. I'm sorry_," Sven said.

"Awh-ha, it's okay," Kristoff replied with a grin.

Elsa composed herself and straightened her dress.

"It's all right, Kristoff. Don't mind Kai's attitude. Sven must've accidentally gotten in." She crossed her arms. "How he did I can't quite stay."

Anna was breathless with laughter, sliding down the wall with tears in her eyes. Elsa kicked her a little and told her to stand up straight. Anna struggled, clutching a stitch in her side and wiping her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she gasped. Kristoff glared at her and Anna's face fell, all laughter gone. She stood straight and cleared her throat. "I really am… sorry, Kristoff."

He sighed and started to lead Sven out to the stables. "It's all right… c'mon, Sven."

Anna watched helplessly as he and the reindeer padded their way out. Elsa patted her sister's shoulder and guided her to the kitchen to pick out the china they would be using. The youngest sighed, wondering how Kristoff was going to be able to cope with such wild happenings in Arendelle and in the castle walls. How he was going to cope with her and Elsa— and Elsa's powers, no less.

Well, she was just going to have to wait and see.

* * *

**I really hope you guys enjoyed it! Please make sure you review. It really makes my day :)**

**See you next time!**


	2. Chapter 2: The Trader's Ball

**Why hello everyone! It's nice to see you all again and I hope you will enjoy the second chapter of Coping. A bit more Kristanna fluff in here along with the sister love we all adore. Two past Disney characters from a beautiful movie will be appearing in this chapter. Two amazing characters that I love a lot… the princess is my favorite after Elsa and Anna. Can you guess? Everyone loves her!**

**Point is, she and her prince will be here.**

**Disclaimer: Disney owns FROZEN**

* * *

Elsa stood in the doorway of her old room that had now been fashioned into her private study. No candles were lit so the room was shrouded in darkness, the ticking of the clock the only sound of some form of life in the study. Elsa smiled to herself, hugging her arms close to her body, and turned away from the room. She waved her hand sharply behind her and the doors slammed shut, Elsa continuing her way down the hall to her new room she shared with Anna.

The queen was secretly excited about the move. Actually, she was ready to burst with the happiness that filled her heart and warmed her icy veins with affection. The move had happened that morning and the servants put Elsa's bed, desk, and wardrobe back in their original place across from Anna's stuff. It was now dusk, the stars starting to appear in the purple and orange streaked sky, the sun dying behind the mountains and casting shadows amongst the people and buildings of Arendelle.

When she entered the room, Anna was sitting at her vanity, putting her hair in braids and silently praying that they won't undo themselves and get tangled as she slept. Her eyes were a little overcast as she absentmindedly did her hair. Elsa shut the door, leaning on it with her hands behind her back. It closed with a _click_ but Anna didn't look over her shoulder to see her sister. Her blue eyes were lost in thought, her small fingers frozen on a knot.

Elsa moved over to her and drew up a chair, sitting beside Anna and taking the braid out of her hands and doing it herself, gently and lovingly like she used to do when Anna was four.

"What's the matter?" Elsa asked, unraveling Anna's hair so she could do the braids over.

Anna looked at her older sister from out of the corner of her eye. Elsa sent her an understanding smile. The princess gazed back into the mirror, blinking as she pursed her lips.

"I dunno how to even begin," Anna replied truthfully.

"Start however you like," Elsa said calmly. "Turn around, please, so I can do this properly."

Anna picked up her stool and turned so her back was facing Elsa. The queen gathered some of the strawberry blond hair into one bunch and began to weave it delicately, her cool fingers working quickly but efficiently.

They sat in silence, Elsa patiently waiting for Anna to speak up about her problem. Anna's grandfather clock she had ticked cheerfully and fast-paced. Unlike Elsa's which ticked slowly and in a mesmerizing beat. The younger of the two heaved a sigh and played with her fingers.

"Well… it's about Kristoff," Anna whispered.

Elsa nodded. "Mhm…"

"I'm not sure about us. Well— not really like _that_ because I _think_ he loves me but he hasn't said it yet. But of course, I don't want to rush things because we can't have another Ha—" Anna stopped dead in her rant and widened her eyes.

Elsa paused her braiding and looked up from her work. Anna was glancing at her from over her shoulder with an apologetic and saddened expression on her face.

"Nobody wants another _him_," Elsa agreed. "Go on."

Her icy eyes returned to her task and Anna looked forward, closing her eyes and enjoying the soothing feeling of someone playing with her hair.

"So anyway… that afternoon two days ago was really rude of me to laugh about Sven," she sniffed. "I wasn't laughing at him. I was laughing at the servants and their reaction to the whole situation. The look on Kristoff's face— ooh, Elsa I think he hates me now! I tried to see him that night but he wasn't there. Neither was Sven…"

"I'm sure they just went out for a sleigh ride," Elsa assured, turning her attention to the second bunch of hair, having finished with the first. "And I don't think Kristoff hates you. He was probably still upset that Sven had gotten into so much trouble and with the man trying to fit in with royal life… He was a little embarrassed is all."

"Yeah but—"

"And I was laughing, too," Elsa reminded her. "At the exact same thing you were."

Anna opened her eyes and looked up at the high ceiling, pondering what she could possibly do to make it up to Kristoff. She wondered if he was even going to show up at the ball. He had been fitted for that fancy attire, after all, but after the way he looked at her when he had been giggling over Sven's catastrophe, she highly doubted he would accompany her anymore.

Elsa moved to the third and final bunch of Anna's hair and started to braid.

"How long will you take?" Anna demanded.

"Relax. It's a trick I picked up from Mama," Elsa said. "Keep your chin up. You're slouching again."

Anna straightened, and tapped her finger onto her knee.

"What about you?" Anna asked.

"What _about_ me?" Elsa repeated, working out a knot with her finger nails.

"You don't have a consort and nobody is courting you," Anna said slyly.

Elsa rolled her eyes. This again.

"I don't want a consort and nobody has attempted to court me," Elsa said dryly. "Besides, I don't blame them after what happened with my ice powers going all berserk."

"But, Elsa, you're so beautiful!" Anna praised dreamily. "I'd give anything to be as pretty as you!"

"Thank you, Anna, that's sweet but you're beautiful inside and out," Elsa said. "And it's more important to be pretty on the inside, don't you think?"

"I suppose… You are, too."

"Looks are overrated." Elsa's face fell a little and she chuckled darkly. "And anyway, any guy who could put up with my abilities and isn't secretly terrified is a keeper in my book."

"Any guy would be lucky to have you," Anna insisted. "Nobody deserves you. You're too perfect."

"Oh, Anna," Elsa said with a smile, nimbly fixing the braid. "_You're_ perfect."

She gathered all three separate braids and bunched them together, weaving them to form one perfect braid down Anna's back. They lapsed into silence again but both of the girls were smiling this time. Elsa finished the final braid and tied the end together. She ran a gentle finger down her work and felt the bumpy texture of the braid on her skin. It was perfect; no knots and no screw-ups.

"There you go," Elsa said, standing up. "All ready for bed."

Anna put it over her shoulder like Elsa did with her own and examined it with awe.

"Whoa," she whispered. "Thanks, Elsa."

"Anytime."

"Let's just hope it stays like this through the night."

Elsa's smile turned into a grin. "If it does then you'll have beautiful waves in the morning." She walked over to her bed and pulled back the covers and sunk into the cool mattress. "Good night."

"'Night, Elsa," Anna yawned, trekking over to her own bed and flopped into the blankets, face first into her pillow.

The queen gazed out the window where she used to watch the lights in the sky dance and wake Anna up at night. And _keep_ her awake until Elsa took her downstairs to build a snowman. It was nice return to the old ways. She remembered how her first night away from Anna was difficult because it had been deathly quiet. Elsa had cried all night, hating herself for hurting Anna and wanting to go back and see her again.

But now, Elsa was listening to Anna's snoozing like she used to. Or the murmurs in her sleep as she dreamed up fantasies. It was wonderful being home again.

* * *

The next week was exhausting for both the queen and the princess. Elsa was buried beneath peace treaties and trade agreements, having Kai constantly follow her around to help her decide how to go on about things. She had given Anna the task of handling the party planning. How Anna was going to handle it, she had no idea. She had faith in her, however, and knew that she wouldn't disappoint.

So while Elsa was dealing with the political side of the job, Anna was tending to servants and ordering them around with an authority she didn't know she had. She put in a request for new plates and glassware. She supervised the cooking and how each platter for the buffet was going to be set up. Anna taste-tested the soups, the creams, the meats, the _chocolate_, and just about everything when a spoon was lifted to her lips. She even ordered a new dress for Elsa to wear since the busy queen hadn't had time to go out and get one.

The night before the ball, Elsa was in her room, at her desk, going over a few papers by candlelight. Anna opened the door and slammed it behind her with a tired groan. She didn't bother changing into her nightgown and simply crashed onto her bed, her arms spread out on either side. Elsa glanced up from her papers and blinked.

"Are you… no, you're not okay," Elsa said with a wry smile. She stood up and sat on Anna's bed. "Long day?"

Anna nodded into the sheets.

"I'm sorry I dropped all this work on you," Elsa said.

"Awh, it's okay," came Anna's muffled response. "It's actually nice to be able to _do_ something every now and again." She turned her head so her cheek was resting on the sheets, her eyes looking up into Elsa's pale face. "And my mind has been so focused! I don't think I've ever thought this hard. I don't think I've ever been this busy, actually. Well, no, I can't say that because I did help a lot for the Coronation Ball but I was so excited I could barely keep up or focus then so… this one I guess is more… uh, I dunno, full of experience?"

"Well, I'm glad you're at least keeping busy."

There was a knock on the door and Gerda's voice came from behind it.

"Princess Anna?" she said.

Anna sat up and moved towards the door, opening it up for her maid to walk inside.

"Yes?" Anna said.

Gerda handed her a neatly folded bundle of cloth with a ribbon holding it together.

"The dress you ordered," Gerda said.

"Ooh! It's finally here!" Anna squealed. "Thank you. That will be all!"

Gerda bowed herself out and Anna shut the door, skipping over to Elsa. She handed her the package and grinned widely. Elsa looked at it, then back at Anna, then back at the clothing.

"What is it?" Elsa said.

"It's for you!" Anna announced.

"For me?"

Elsa took it gingerly and placed it in her lap. Anna watched intently as Elsa removed the ribbon and unraveled the clothing. A beautiful, navy blue dress was revealed with snowflake designs sewn onto the bottom of the dress. The waist was a light blue and the undershirt was long-sleeved, the same color as the waist. The upper body was dazzled in icy figures along the base, crawling up to the shoulders.

Elsa was speechless. She had never seen such a gorgeous dress before. She looked back up at Anna who was showing all her pearly whites, anticipating Elsa's response.

"Do you like it?" Anna asked hopefully.

"I… I don't know what to say," Elsa breathed. "It's amazing."

"I had it specially designed for you," Anna told her, sitting next to her sister. "I thought, since you're the queen of ice and snow and all, you could use a dress that shows who you truly are…" Anna placed a hand on Elsa's shoulder. "On the _inside_. Which is where it matters most."

Elsa turned her head to gaze at her little sister, tears pricking the back of her eyes.

"It's wonderful," Elsa said. "Thank you."

She placed the dress on her other side and gave Anna a hug, wondering how she ever deserved such a wonderful sister like her. Anna stood and took the dress from the bed and placed it on display on the upper body mannequin. She smoothed out the wrinkles and stood back to observe it, biting her lip and cocking her head to the side. Elsa got up to stand next to her, her hands folded in front of her.

They eyed each other and smiled pleasantly, both silently agreeing the dress was perfect.

* * *

Anna slid inside the ballroom, her party dress on and her hair in the style is had been on the day of Elsa's coronation. Her eyes were frantic as she counted the servants around her. She spotted Kai speaking with the band that would be playing that night. She ran over to him and tapped his shoulder.

"Yes, your Highness?" he said distractedly.

"Has the first course been set out yet?" she asked.

"It should be," he said, glancing towards the buffet tables. "Everything is perfect, ma'am. Not a hair out of place."

"Excellent. Make sure you fetch Elsa at six fifty-five _exactly_ so she can be introduced at seven." Anna drew herself up and turned away. "In the meantime, I can entertain the guests. I'm certain the band can play a few dances before Elsa's arrival."

"As you wish, your Highness," Kai bowed his head.

Anna pressed forward and entered the kitchen. The many pots and pans working in unison sent numerous scents in the air. She caught several individual smells like the chocolate fondue, the beef stew, and the fresh dinner rolls. She bobbed and weaved through the chefs as they shouted across the room at one another, asking for a spice or a utensil. Anna found a wooden spoon in her face and one of the chefs asking her if it needed more salt. She tasted it and shook her head, giving him the thumbs up and her winning smile. She exited the kitchen and into the hallway.

Her feet led her to the foyer and she exited outside to the warm summer evening, into the courtyard. She turned the corner of the castle and picked her way around to the stables. Inside, she patted her horse's muzzle affectionately and made her way over to Sven, who was without Kristoff.

"Hiya, Sven," she cooed, picking a carrot out of the sack beside his stall and feeding it to him. She smiled sweetly and rubbed his nose. "Not everyday you get a carrot all to yourself, huh?"

He snorted and pressed his muzzle closer to her hand, closing his eyes at her touch.

"Now where's Kristoff?" she wondered, glancing up from the reindeer and looking around the stable. His usual pile of hay was empty and his Ice Harvesting outfit was hung up on the wall.

The door of the stable opened behind her and she turned, expecting to see Kristoff and apologize but Olaf waddled in instead, his usual grin splayed on his frozen face.

"Anna!" he sang. "I didn't expect you to be here!"

"Here I am," Anna giggled. "Hi, Olaf. What are you doing here?"

"I was just taking my walk," he said cheekily, walking up to her. Anna got on her knees to be eye-level with the snowman. "Enjoying the summer breeze, smelling the flowers, and saying hi to the people." He sighed dreamily and clasped his little twig fingers together. "What are _you_ doing?"

"I was…" _Looking for Kristoff_ was the right answer to the question but she stopped herself, feeling heat creep up her neck with embarrassment.

"Looking for Elsa," she lied lamely.

Anna cringed at her response.

"Oh! I saw her in her room an hour ago!" Olaf supplied cheerfully, not picking up on the fib. "We were talking for a while about this coming winter. She was planning on throwing another ball to celebrate." He giggled. "Wouldn't that be exciting?"

"Maybe you can go to that one," she said, adjusting his carrot nose. "Since this one is all high class and stuffy, I don't think many people would understand a walking and talking snowman just yet."

Olaf nodded and frowned a little. "That's what Elsa said, too." He perked up. "But that's okay! There's always a next time! I'll see you around, Anna!" He turned with a skip in his step and strode out to the garden, where he liked to reside and enjoy the summer nights. Elsa had formed a little igloo there for him to live inside and keep cool while he slept.

Anna stood up and felt Sven nudge her shoulder, nickering and begging for attention. She laughed a little and rubbed his nose, his little whiskers tickling her bare arm.

"I'll be back, later," she promised, giving him a kiss on the forehead. "Good boy."

Sven licked her cheek in response.

* * *

Anna was probably the world's greatest hostess. She was talking to almost _everybody_ and greeted them by the door when the party started. She would curtsy and introduce herself, welcoming them warmly and telling them their options at the buffet tables.

"Help yourselves," she would insist. "It's all you can eat. May I suggest starting with the bread rolls? They're absolutely scrumptious."

The officials and ambassadors would whisper about how polite she was and Anna would sometimes be in earshot. She would smile to herself, her chest swelling with pride, and hoped that Elsa would hear them once she was introduced to everyone at seven. Anna kept the guests busy by going around and striking up conversation. She even danced with a few ambassadors from Spain and Ireland when they would ask for her hand.

Out of the corner of her eye, while she was supervising the buffet table, she saw Kai slip out to go and get Elsa. She moved away from the table and started to push through the crowd towards the throne. She had been keeping an eye out for Kristoff, her heart aching as she silently prayed he would show up. Once she reached the throne, the door to her right opened, Elsa's silhouette appearing. Anna glanced over and Elsa waved. Anna waved back, her hand at her waist so she wouldn't draw too many eyes to her. Kai stepped up beside the throne, a little ways behind Anna. He cleared his throat thickly and gained the attention of the guests.

"Now presenting: Queen Elsa of Arendelle!" Kai announced heartily and the crowd broke into applause.

Elsa emerged from the doorway and walked into the light of the ballroom. Anna saw her in her dress for the first time and her mouth fell open a little. Elsa's hair was in its thick braid, her crown sparkling in the golden lights. Her dress fit her perfectly and made her icy eyes shine. She was giving the crowd her queen-like smile: not too big but not too small. She crossed in front of Anna and stood on her left, nodding her head at the guests, acknowledging them with an air of respect.

The clapping died down and everyone returned to the party. Anna blinked and grinned.

"Wow!" she gasped. "You look amazing in that dress."

"Thank you," Elsa said, sounding a little embarrassed. "It's not too much, right?"

"It's perfect," Anna assured.

A Spanish ambassador approached and bowed deeply.

"Queen Elsa, it's an honor to be in your presence," he said, his accent thick. "And, Princess Anna…" He stood straight and fixed his sleeves. "You have been such a _maravilloso_ hostess."

"Oh, ha, thank you," Anna said, bowing her head. "I did my best."

"It was beyond best," he complimented. With another short bow, he slipped back into the crowd.

Anna felt a blush fan her cheeks. She could feel Elsa's eyes on her but she refused to meet them. The Irish ambassador showed up and gave his compliments to Anna as well, telling her how wonderful she was and the food was delicious. A visiter from Scotland bowed and said that he requested a recipe for a fish appetizer from the chefs, it was so good. Constant people came up, said their greeting to Elsa but then returned their attention to Anna to thank her, or to ask her something, or to simply tell her that the party was superb.

After the German ambassador gave Anna a kiss on the hand and left, Elsa raised her eyebrows, a pleased smile on her face. Anna was looking down at the floor, trying to conceal a grin that was begging to burst.

"You've been busy," Elsa said, trying not to laugh. 'Busy' was an understatement.

"Yeah…"

"I'm so proud of you," Elsa said softly. "You did all this and made sure it was perfect… how can I ever thank you?"

"Awh, Elsa!" Anna giggled, finally look up into her face and grabbing hold of her arm, leaning on her shoulder. "Having fun is how you can thank me!"

"But I'm supposed to remain here," Elsa reminded her.

Anna blew a raspberry. "Poo on the rules. C'mon!"

"Wait I— Anna— Stop—!" Elsa protested but Anna pulled her off the platform and into the crowd, a waltz playing in the background.

Anna stopped in the middle of the dance floor and gripped Elsa's waist, playing the role of the man. She clasped her hand with Elsa's and began to coach her, counting her steps off.

"That's it— okay. One, two, three," Anna said. "One, two, three. Wrong foot! That's… there you go. One, two, three." Anna laughed. "You got it!"

"Anna, you _know_ I can't dance," Elsa hissed between bared teeth but kept up with the tempo as best as she could. Her pale face was red and a little ice was starting to creep through her veins and on the wooden beams in the ceiling, a little anxious. "People are watching."

"It's fine! Just ignore them," Anna urged. "It doesn't matter!"

"But I—"

"You're doing great. If I can skate, you can dance," Anna insisted stubbornly.

They continued their dance, Elsa becoming faster and her embarrassment dying away. Her nervous frown became a joyful grin. They started laughing together, their eyes alight and gleaming, their sisterly bond growing and Elsa's ice thawing away with every passing moment.

"Now here comes the twirl," the princess warned. "Are you ready?"

Elsa hesitated but then nodded. Anna, with a bit of difficulty, spun Elsa under her arm. Elsa flailed her free arm a little, not knowing what else to do, and accidentally whacked someone in the back of the head. A low _ow!_ came from the person and the sisters stopped dancing, gasping.

A tall young man turned around, rubbing the back of his head, his warm brown eyes narrowed with annoyance. He had a mop of curly black hair and a broad chest, wearing an emerald green suit. His face was a little square shaped but his chin was smooth, stubble along the edges of his cheeks.

"I am _so_ sorry," Elsa said, hugging her arms to her chest. Anna glanced at a corner of the room and noticed ice caking the wooden beams again. With a nervous swallow, she nudged Elsa sharply in the ribs. But the queen didn't look up to see that her powers were showing.

"It's all right," said the man, his accent showing he was from England.

He seemed to realize who he was talking to and his eyes widened with dawning comprehension, dropping to one knee and bowing.

"Oh, my deepest apologies, Queen Elsa!" he exclaimed. "I should have moved out of the way."

"No, no, it's okay," Elsa promised. "Really, I'm the one that hit you."

Anna saw the ice melt in the corner and felt a smile tug at her lips as she glanced at Elsa. The queen never looked so… blown away before. The man stood and straightened his coat.

"I should formally introduce myself," he said. "I am Prince Thomas of England, second in line for the crown."

"You know me already," Elsa said. "This is Princess Anna, my little sister."

Anna curtsied. "It's a pleasure."

"Queen Elsa!" Kai called from across the room. "There is a request for your audience."

"Ah… coming!" Elsa called back. "I— I should go. It was nice meeting you, Prince Thomas." She bowed her head and vanished into the crowd towards the throne.

Anna sent Thomas a grin and began to follow her sister but her hand was caught by a larger hand, pulling her back onto the dance floor. After shaking herself out of her daze, she looked up into a pair of light brown eyes.

"Kristoff," she breathed. "You're here."

"Of course," he said. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

He began to lead her in a clumsy waltz, not really following the music but Anna didn't care. He was smiling serenely, his blond hair falling into his eyes. And he was wearing that suit she bought for him. What was best: she was back in his arms, where she had longed to be all night.

"I thought you were mad at me," she said quietly.

He knit his brows together. "Why would you think that?"

"Because I laughed when Sven got in…"

"Oh, that? I wasn't mad at you," he assured. "I was a little frustrated because the servants were being… well, stuffy."

"Don't mind them," Anna said. "But… I haven't seen you around at all. I meant to apologize to you. I really felt bad because you looked so angry—"

"Anna."

"—and poor _Sven_ looked so afraid of the servants. They don't mean to be so uptight but what with the ball being planned—"

"Anna."

"—they were all so stressed out and wanted things to be perfect. They also must've felt embarrassed because Elsa and I were laughing—"

"_Anna_."

"—but I promise that we didn't mean for things to be—"

Kristoff silenced her with a kiss, their dance ending in the middle of the floor but nobody paid them any mind. When he pulled away, Anna blinked with puzzlement, her face redder than it had been before.

"What are—?"

"You talk too much," he teased, pressing his forehead to hers.

She smiled and giggled. They struck up their dance again but it soon became a lazy, drunken sway, their eyes closed in bliss, enjoying each other's company.

* * *

Elsa arrived at the throne to find two people waiting for her. One of them was a tall man, around with brown hair and some scruff on his chin. Beside him was a girl around Elsa's age with short cut, brown hair and wide green eyes. She was smiling a toothy smile and curtsied.

"Greetings, Queen Elsa," she beamed. "I don't think I've introduced myself at all. Sorry." She grinned sheepishly. "I'm Princess Rapunzel of Corona… we— we're cousins."

Elsa blinked and something triggered her memory… Corona… yes, she heard the name a few times from her mother when she was little. Then it clicked.

"Oh, that's right," she said with a small nod. "I remember my mother talking to my father about her sister looking for their daughter and lanterns being lit and— Oh… sorry."

Rapunzel shrugged, the same smile on her freckled face. "Well, I'm back! Ha, I've been back for three years. I was actually here for your coronation, too, and witnessed the entire freeze." Elsa gave her a nervous grin. "I never got a chance to talk to you before the whole thing, though."

"I see…" Elsa laughed airily. "I'm sorry you had to witness that."

"We've seen some crazy stuff in my lifetime," the man said with a charming grin. "She used to have glowing hair."

"G-glowing hair?" Elsa repeated, raising her eyebrows.

Rapunzel nudged him with her elbow. "Don't just go blurting it out." She didn't sound angry, her smile was growing affectionately.

The man laughed. "Long story, your Majesty."

"This is my husband Eugene Fitzherbert…"

"_Prince_ Eugene."

"Of course." Rapunzel rolled her eyes lovingly.

"It's wonderful to finally meet you," Elsa said earnestly. "You're welcome to stay in the castle for as long as you're in Arendelle. I'm sure Anna would enjoy getting to know you. And I would like to, as well."

"That sounds amazing," Rapunzel agreed, her formal, regal voice suddenly dropping. She suddenly reminded Elsa of Anna, how being royalty could be exhausting and the only thing on her mind was being herself. "I mean—" She cleared her throat and folded her hands in front of her. "—I wouldn't want to be a burden." She sent Elsa a sheepish grin. They were definitely related.

"Not at all. Family is family," Elsa said with an understanding smile.

* * *

As the evening dwindled away, the crowd thinned. Rapunzel and Eugene were shown to a guest room when they were ready to turn in. Only a few remained, some continuing a conversation with a fellow ambassador and others still eating the dessert. Elsa had filled herself up with a dark chocolate cake that had been served, guiltily indulging in its perfect fluffiness and creamy taste. Now she was sitting in her throne, her eyes searching for Anna. She found her sister swaying on the dance floor with Kristoff, the two of them giggling and holding each other tightly. Anna, being the bolder of the two, got on her toes and kissed him, not earning a single protest as he kissed her back. Somehow, the queen thought, they made up or apologized or whatever Anna had done to reconnect with him so it was nice to see her glowing again.

Elsa turned her head away to give them some form of privacy and found Prince Thomas standing before her.

"Oh, hi," she said. "You haven't left yet?"

"No, I… I wanted to say my farewells," he said. "And to say that it was a lovely party."

"Thank you, but it was all Anna," she said, sitting up straight and resting her hands in her lap. "She was the one who really made the party shine."

"Where is she?"

"Uh… making amends."

"I… okay… well, Queen Elsa, I shall inform my father of the wondrous kingdom of Arendelle. I'm absolutely elated to be assured that we can continue to be trade partners and…" He trailed off and then grinned broadly. "Forget the formalities now that the party is over." He chuckled. "I'd love to see you again, m'lady."

"I'd like that," she said shyly.

Thomas got down on one knee and tenderly took her cool hand, didn't wince at the surprisingly low temperature, and kissed it. "Good night," he said, bowing his head. He stood and strode away. "I shall keep in touch."

He exited the ballroom, leaving Elsa slightly winded. Her eyes were glued to the door and she noticed Kristoff leaving the room, rubbing his eyes. He caught Elsa's eye and waved her good night. Anna seemed to glide over to Elsa, her cheeks pinker than anything she's ever seen.

"Have fun with Kristoff?" Elsa teased.

"Oh, shut up," Anna grinned.

"C'mon," Elsa said with a giggle. "Let's get to bed before I fall over."

"Good idea," Anna yawned.

Elsa stood up and Anna followed her out, the two of them biding the left over guests a good night as they left.

Even though the night was long, the girls found a way to cope with the craziness. Cope with the busy chores to plan the party. Cope with the troubles of love and cope with the burden of being trade partners with many different kingdoms. But as long as they had each other, they both decided as they linked arms and headed to a well deserved sleep, they could cope with anything life threw at them.

* * *

**Lame ending again but… it happened. Prince Thomas was just kinda there for Elsa to get a little love while Anna gets her Kristoff. I actually ship Elsa with Jack Frost (sorta kinda. I'm still iffy) in an AU because I'm thinking of timelines and everything. And, of course, Punzie and Eugene dropped by for a visit. One of my OTPs :3**

**I also take HEADCANNONS so do send me those. Either through a review or a PM or inbox me on Tumblr (athpluver is my blog). Follow me! I **_**always**_** follow back.**

**See you next time!**


	3. Chapter 3: Out With Rapunzel

**Happy New Year, everyone! Or are you tired of that already? Haha, me too. But here's a good new year present: a new chapter of **_**Coping**_**! Yay!**

**I dunno if any of you like to write songs but if you do, I have a small request. Because Frozen is technically a Disney Musical, it has songs (duh) and I would like one of you out there to write a song for **_**Coping**_** for one of the characters to sing! I'm no good at lyrics but if you can come up with a fantastic song for Elsa or Anna or a duet between Rapunzel and Elsa, then shoot me a PM! One of your songs might just end up in the story.**

**I do that for my Adventure Time stories so I thought, why not here!**

**Disclaimer: Disney owns FROZEN.**

* * *

Her blue eyes were wide, staring open mouthed at the brunette princess across from her. The story of fantastical impossibilities and betrayal and _glowing hair_ was almost like something out of a fantasy… then again, her sister had ice powers so it wasn't as crazy as Anna thought. Elsa was sitting with her eyebrows raised, not so sure what to make of the story. Every now and again, the sisters would glance at each other, smile knowingly, and then return their attention to her. It wasn't like the story was boring, because it wasn't whatsoever. They were just in a stunned silence.

Rapunzel was telling them of her journey to self discovery and her return to Corona. Eugene would sometimes chime in, making sure he was included and how 'dashingly amazing' he was saving his wife from the evils of the outside world.

Elsa noticed Anna's gaping and kicked her shins from under the table. Anna glanced at her out of the corner of her eye and Elsa sent her a 'knock it off' look. Anna sat straight in her seat and continued to listen to her cousin, who hadn't noticed her gawking stupidly over their breakfast.

"And… well," Rapunzel continued. "I started to cry, which was the only thing I could _think_ to do, and sang that song. Apparently, the magic that was in my hair was still sorta kinda inside me so my tears fell on Eugene's face and…" She looked at him helplessly. "Healed him."

"That's right," Eugene grinned. "Just downright crazy, ain't it?"

"Magic exists everywhere," Elsa supplied, tapping the table top gently and freezing Eugene's water as he tried to take a sip. Rapunzel giggled behind her hand and shared a smile with Anna.

"Then we returned to Corona," Rapunzel went on. "And I reunited with my parents." She smiled wider, a faraway look in her eyes.

"…And we all lived happily ever after," Eugene finished, raising his frozen glass. "Queen Elsa, would you mind?"

Elsa tapped her finger again and the water unfroze, the prince finally being able to take a refreshing sip. Anna gathered a breakfast roll in her hand and began to butter it thickly, her tongue sticking out in concentration, as if buttering it was the most complicated thing in the world. The four royals sat in a pleasant silence, their silverware clinking as they ate. The dining hall doors opened and in walked a bed-headed Kristoff, rubbing his eyes. His hair wasn't as crazy as Anna's usually got so it could pass off as a normal look; something that Anna envied of him.

However, seeing the Ice Master in the dining hall was a shock to the sisters of Arendelle. Kristoff never joined them for meals and usually stuck to hanging out in the stables. Elsa sent Anna a puzzled expression but Anna shrugged, obviously just as surprised as she was. The mountain man plopped down in a seat beside Anna and the servant waiting on them brought him his breakfast. He began to eat as if nothing was out of the ordinary; like he did this everyday. Rapunzel picked up on the confused tension and smiled to herself, staring into her meal without saying a word. She wondered how this was going to play out.

Kristoff felt the stares of Elsa and Anna and looked up from his breakfast roll he was splitting open. The girls were almost gaping at him, unsure of what to say. He blinked and grabbed his knife, still staring back, to butter his bread.

"What?" he finally spoke. "Am I doing it wrong?"

Elsa blinked herself out of her slight stupor and broke into a small smile.

"No… we're just surprised," she said. "You never eat breakfast with us."

"Or lunch or dinner," Anna added.

"Oh. Well, I'm here now, right?" he pointed out with his awkward grin.

"I suppose," Elsa said, returning to her eggs.

Anna couldn't stop staring at him. There had to have been a reason he had come to eat with them. Kristoff had gone back to focusing on his bread, digging his teeth into the warm roll and chewing heavily. Everyone else started to act like this was a normal activity but Anna. Behind her, Elsa had started to talk to Eugene and Rapunzel about their wedding and how it went. Anna picked up something about a horse and a chameleon and rings but she wasn't really paying attention.

Finally, Kristoff glanced at her and swallowed his bread. She gave him a skeptical expression but he mistook it as a 'are you forgetting something' kind of look.

"Oh, right," he said. "Sorry."

He reached over and placed a chaste kiss on her lips and pulled away before she could react. Her cheeks flushed and he smiled.

"Good morning," he greeted.

She didn't return the gesture, still gazing at him in awe. He frowned.

"What are you staring at?" he demanded, finally sounding like his usual self. "Aren't I supposed to kiss you in the morning?"

"I…" Anna trailed off.

"It's what couples do… right?"

He sounded so unsure, as if he had done something very wrong. Heat crawled up the back of his neck and he looked over her shoulder at Elsa, seeking some form of guidance. Elsa caught his gaze and sent him a 'don't ask me' expression. Rapunzel noticed Kristoff's desperate situation and she piped up instead.

"Yes, you're right," she said helpfully. "That's what most normal couples do. Right, Eugene?"

"Hm?" he replied, shifting is orange juice around in his glass. He eyed her and she gave him an unimpressed grimace. "Oh, yes! All the time, mm-hm."

"Really convincing," she said with a crooked smile.

Kristoff looked back at Anna, who was suppressing a giggle behind her hand. He smiled modestly and went back to his meal, the others following his example. Their tension vanished suddenly and they were in their usual stride.

After breakfast, Elsa suggested she and Anna take Rapunzel out to get to know her more while Eugene could spend some 'manly man bonding time' (as Anna put it) together. Before she left with her sister and cousin, Anna pulled Kristoff aside and kissed him.

"I'm sorry about the weirdness this morning," she grinned cheekily. "I was just a little surprised."

"It's okay," he chuckled, caressing her cheek. "I just thought since, y'know, I'd be living here for a while I should at least be present."

"Good idea. I like it," she agreed, kissing his cheek. "Have fun with Eugene!"

She waved as she ran off to catch up with Rapunzel and Elsa. Kristoff waved back, a dreamy look in his eyes. Eugene clapped a hard hand on Kristoff's back and snapped him back into reality.

"So!" Eugene barked with a shining grin. "What's there to do for fun around here?"

* * *

The hustle and bustle of the town square reminded Rapunzel of home. Everyone was so friendly and they bowed deeply when the three girls walked by. Elsa would acknowledge them with her queen-like grace and smile, while Anna would wave cheerfully and grin widely. The townspeople greeted Rapunzel with as much enthusiasm as they did the other girls. Rapunzel, like Anna, would greet them happily and crouch down to say hello to the kids.

Elsa was still so reserved, gloves over her hands, folded behind her back. Anna was her usual goofy self. She ended up tripping over her own feet while waving to the chocolate storekeep and fell past Elsa, who quickly reacted and caught her before she hit the ground.

"Careful," Elsa laughed, helping her sister stand straight.

"Ha, sorry," Anna blushed, tucking an invisible strand of hair behind her ear, her usual sign of nervousness.

"Ooh!" Rapunzel suddenly cried out, pushing by her cousins and towards a flower shop. "Those are so pretty!"

"Wait, Rapunzel!" Elsa called after her.

"Wait for _me!_" Anna shouted, running by Elsa to follow.

Elsa shook her head with a sigh. She wondered how she was going to cope with two spunky girls all week long. She moved through the crowd, which became easier as people parted for her, and entered the flower shop. Anna and Rapunzel were gushing over a bouquet of yellow roses and were mixing them with other colors, giggling and asking a million questions. The shopkeeper was happily tending to their whims, her bright and sunny smile never leaving her face. When she noticed the queen, she bowed and welcomed her.

"Your Majesty," she said. "I bid you a good day!"

"And to you," Elsa nodded. She glanced at the girls as they searched the pots for more colors. "They aren't giving you any trouble, are they?"

"No, not at all!" the shopkeeper promised. "It's such a joy to have people come in and view the flowers."

"Ooh, Elsa!" Anna squealed and shoved a bunch of white roses into her face. "Don't you think these would go beautifully in our room?"

Elsa gently lowered the flowers so she could get a better look at them. She examined each petal, noting the few bruises on the flowers. They were obviously well taken care of. She took one out of the bouquet and inhaled the scent, smiling pleasantly.

"They are quite lovely," she agreed.

"Great!" Anna danced over to the shopkeeper. "I'll take two dozen white roses, please!"

"And I'll have the buttercups," Rapunzel added. "But I'm gonna pick them up before I go back to Corona. I think they'd be perfect in my room over there."

"As you wish, your Highnesses," the shopkeeper said, ringing up their orders. "Shall I deliver the roses to the castle so you may shop hands free?"

"If it's not too much trouble," Anna said.

"Not at all."

"Thank you very much," Elsa said with a bow of her head. Anna handed the shopkeeper a few coins. "Let's go girls," Elsa continued.

They followed her outside into the summer sun and continued their walk. Elsa would point out little things about Arendelle to Rapunzel and the princess would absorb everything in, excitement in her eyes. Anna linked her arm with both of the older girls and dragged them into a dress shop, wanting to buy them each a new dress. Elsa tried to decline because that beautiful snow-themed dress Anna got for her was enough for now. Anna would hear none of it. She shoved her sister behind a dressing screen and tossed at least fifteen different dresses over to her. Rapunzel was searching through the summer dresses and found one she really liked.

Anna snatched that dress out of her hand and folded it over her arm.

"My treat for our visiting family," Anna said.

"Oh, really, it's okay," Rapunzel tried but Anna held up a finger.

"Ah-ah! Look around next door, too. They have men's suits and you might find something nice for Eugene," Anna suggested. "Really, I can handle it!"

"I can't possibly accept—"

Anna gave her a long look, her eyebrow raised. Rapunzel grinned, getting the message, and let herself be pushed out the door towards the men's shop. Elsa was observing some of the dresses Anna tossed to her. All of them were several different shades of blue with specks of other colors inside them. She didn't want to make Anna spend anymore money than she already did so she politely handed them back to Anna.

"Anna, it's okay," Elsa said, eyeing the crestfallen expression her sister wore. "I'll be fine."

"But, Elsa—!"

"How about this," Elsa said, wrapping her arm around her shoulders. "When the next party comes, you can take me shopping and get me anything. Fit me for new shoes, get me new jewelry, a new dress, and anything else." Anna's face brightened. Elsa took Anna's chin between her forefinger and thumb, smiling at her. "It's sweet how generous you're being, Anna, but I'm okay for right now. Just tend to Rapunzel at the moment because she's our guest. Do you understand?"

"Yes, your Majesty," Anna teased.

She slithered out of Elsa's grip and skipped over to the counter to purchase Rapunzel's dress. Elsa giggled at Anna's enthusiasm and strode outside to wait for her. The princess of Corona walked out of the men's shop and leaned against the wall beside Elsa.

"Find anything in there?" Elsa asked.

"Nope. But it's okay," Rapunzel said. "All of that stuff isn't really Eugene's 'style'" She stretched her arm. "How about you?"

"I'll be okay," Elsa said. "I've got plenty of dresses."

Anna bounded back outside and handed Rapunzel her dress held together with a perfect bow tied at the top.

"Here ya go," Anna chimed. "Ready to be worn. It's such a pretty color, too."

They returned to the cobblestone streets and back to the square. They spent a little more time bobbing and weaving through the shops and viewing what was for sale. Otherwise, the flowers and dresses were the only things that made Anna's coin pouch lighter. As they made their way to the castle bridge, Anna clutched her stomach and whined loudly.

"Elsa! Is it lunchtime yet?" she moaned.

"In an hour," Elsa said, not looking over her shoulder to face her.

"Awh-huh!" Anna complained, squeezing her eyes shut and titling her head to the sky in agony. "An _hour_!?"

"You'll live."

"No, I won't!" Anna dramatically threw herself into Rapunzel's arms. "I'm gonna die right here and now unless I get my lunch!"

Rapunzel was doubled over, trying to keep Anna from falling. Elsa rolled her eyes with a hopeless smile and pressed forward. Anna steadied herself and ran after Elsa, jumping in front of her sister, her blue eyes sparkling. Elsa stopped and watched as the younger sibling bounced on the balls of her feet.

"Can't we just eat lunch now!?" she begged.

"I have a few things to do so you'll have to wait," Elsa said firmly.

Anna pouted and began to retort but she was cut off by her cousin.

"Why don't you and I," Rapunzel suggested, taking Anna's hand, "go to the jewelers and look at the necklaces? I'd love to get my mother something from Arendelle." She sent Elsa a smile and a shadow of a wink.

"That's a great idea," Elsa agreed. "Anna, you're gonna be bored out of your mind until lunch. Plus, spending time with our cousin will be a nice way to wait it out."

"Sure," Anna said with uncertainty, letting Rapunzel guide her back into town.

Anna looked over her shoulder at Elsa with a frown before she was swallowed by the crowd. Elsa hadn't looked back at her. She simply kept going towards the castle, head held high to keep her authority visible to the guards at the gates. Anna wriggled her hand out of Rapunzel's once they reached the jewelers.

"Is there a problem?" Rapunzel asked as they walked inside.

"No, I… It's just this is the most time I've spent with Elsa since five weeks ago…y'know when she froze everything," Anna said quietly. "These past three weeks have been wonderful getting to be with her. After thirteen years of us being separated…" She sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "But I guess I can get a little much for her."

Rapunzel blinked, sensing how conflicted Anna was feeling.

"Hey, look," Rapunzel said, placing a gentle hand on Anna's shoulder. "I'm sure that Elsa understands why you're so… uh…" She was at a loss for words.

"In her face?" Anna supplied dully, glaring at the ground.

"No, let's not put it that way," Rapunzel scolded. "Give her a little time to breathe today and I'm sure that everything will be fine at lunchtime."

* * *

Kristoff quickly learned that Eugene was a very charming man. Every place they entered in the town, girls practically swooned and their eyes followed him everywhere he went. However, Eugene barely paid them any mind as he went on about his business, his hands clasped tightly behind his back and his eyes drinking everything in. Of course, with him around, Kristoff was barely given any attention. But what was he expecting? He was an ice harvester and Eugene… he was a prince.

Usually Kristoff was envied by the nobles in town because he was courting Anna. And sometimes the girls in town would giggle when he walked by and whisper how lucky the princess was to 'find such a hunk.' Eugene brought so much attention to himself, Kristoff blended into the crowd once again, like he had before the big frozen summer mess five weeks prior.

How Eugene managed to ignore them was beyond Kristoff. By the looks of him, he expected Eugene to charm every woman in his path, kiss their hands gracefully, and boldly tell them how pretty they were. If the mountain man tried to do any of those things, he would look like a big, clumsy, blond bear without a clue.

Eugene stopped by a food market and picked up and apple. He tossed the seller a coin and bit into the red flesh of the fruit. Boy, he even made eating a simple apple look good.

"You're gaining a lot of attention," Kristoff pointed out lamely, noticing some more girls looking their way.

"It happens," Eugene shrugged. He offered the apple to Kristoff. "Want a bite?"

"No… thank you," Kristoff said awkwardly.

"I'm usually quite the ladies man," Eugene grinned. "But my heart belongs to Rapunzel. To be honest, I do miss being the Corona bad boy but, ha, it's nice being able to strut about the kingdom without finding a wanted poster around every corner."

"I wouldn't know."

"So what do you do, again?"

"I sell ice."

"Really?"

"Yeah…"

"Tell me about that."

Kristoff raised an eyebrow. "What do you want to know?"

"How do you sell ice? Like, where do you get it?"

"I harvest it up in the mountains," Kristoff began, pointing a finger up towards said mountains. "Then I put it on my sled and my reindeer Sven will take me back home. I sell it here."

"I used to steal stuff," Eugene said shortly.

"Sounds fun."

There was an awkward silence before they both cracked into grins.

* * *

Elsa made her way downstairs at noon for lunch. She entered the dining hall to find the two couples waiting for her inside. They were all talking loudly, smiles on their faces and placemats empty. They had obviously refused to start without Elsa because, once she sat down, plates of open faced sandwiches were placed before them, tea poured into their cups, steam rising from the top liquid.

"So, Anna, Rapunzel," Elsa said after a moment of eating silence. "How was the jeweler's place?"

"Punzie got her mother a beautiful broach," Anna said.

"Thanks to Anna, though," Rapunzel said. "She found it amongst all the others and it really stood out."

Anna shook her head modestly. "I only pointed out the broaches…" She quickly changed the subject. "So how was the man bonding?" She puffed out her chest and placed her fists on her hips, a silly grin on her face. "Was it super duper manly?"

"Super," Kristoff played along, smirking. "We were so manly that Eugene caused a bunch of macho men to lose their muscles."

"We were so manly that Kristoff was followed by a bunch of old women," Eugene said.

"Yeah, I was… wait, what?" Kristoff looked up from his sandwich with confusion.

Eugene started to laugh but gave no further explanation. Anna nudged Kristoff playfully.

"I guess I got some competition, huh?" she teased.

"Tons," Kristoff grumbled sarcastically.

"How was your paperwork, Elsa?" Rapunzel asked.

"Boring," Elsa said. "Some ridiculous request from Weselton about repairing our trade partnership but… ah… I'm having none of it."

"Why not?" Eugene said. "Doesn't Corona trade with them?"

"Only some stuff," Rapunzel said. "Barely anything. Arendelle was their closest partner."

"Let's just say the Duke decided to send his goons after me," Elsa said sourly.

"Joy," Anna added, sipping her tea.

"Oh…" Rapunzel got quiet and bit into her lunch distractedly.

"Anyway!" Anna piped up, trying to rid the air of its heavy intake. "Did you guys enjoy the ball last night?"

"Yes! It was so amazing!" Rapunzel nodded. "The chocolate was delightful and I loved the dancing. Ooh, you guys should come and celebrate my birthday in Corona one day. We have this huge festival and we send lanterns into the sky…" Her eyes got all dreamy. "It's a little much but it's really a lot of fun every year."

"We should," Elsa said. "I've never been outside of Arendelle before."

"Me neither," Anna said. "Well… does the North Mountain count?" She looked at Elsa questioningly.

"No," Elsa said with a slight shake of her head. "Not really."

"So, more like, we've been out of the kingdom but never out of the general area?" Anna supplied, raising her eyebrows and nodding lightly, trying to get Elsa to agree with her, her mouth in a goofy, open side-smile.

Elsa smiled back against her will. "Sure, Anna."

* * *

The sun was shining through the window but had yet to hit her in the face. The usual snoring that came from her sister was short and slight, barely escaping her lips.

No, the knocking on the door was what woke her up.

Elsa squeezed her eyes shut even tighter, not wanting to get out of bed just yet. Anna was practically glued to her, her head buried in her back and arms around her waist. Elsa was at the edge of the bed, her head leaning on her arm and her hand in her hair. Her other hand was wrapped around Anna's wrist, the covers keeping them warm in the chilly temperature caused by the queen.

The knocking got louder and Elsa called back sharply.

"Who is it?"

"Your Majesty," Kai's voice replied. "You have a visiter."

"Now?"

"Erm… yes, now."

"Can't they wait until I'm actually awake?"

Anna giggled into Elsa's nightgown.

"What would you like me to tell him?" Kai asked.

Elsa peeked behind her at Anna, who was gazing sleepily back at her. The princess shrugged and rolled over, letting go of her sister and taking her original spot back.

"I'm staying in a little longer," she said. "Do whatever you need to do."

Elsa's eyes left Anna and landed on the door.

"Tell him to meet me for breakfast," Elsa said assertively. "He can wait."

"Very good, your Majesty."

Kai's footsteps vanished as he went to deliver the message. Elsa sunk back underneath the covers and closed her eyes, hoping to gain a few more minutes of sleep. Anna turned back to face Elsa and opened her mouth to speak. But the queen threw the sheets up to her nose and she grimaced.

"Anna, your _breath_!" she complained.

Anna shut her mouth and covered it with her hand.

"Is it that bad?" she asked, muffled.

"Yes…! What did you eat for dinner?" Elsa demanded.

"I had some of the pickled herring," Anna responded. "I'm sorry, Elsa!"

Elsa smirked and pushed Anna out of her bed.

"Well, go sleep in your own bed!" Elsa said. "I want to sleep a little while longer without you stinking it up."

"Oh, you're nice," Anna quipped from the floor. "You should smell your breath."

"I'm sure it isn't a walk in the park," Elsa muttered, burying her head in her pillow and closing her eyes. "But it's probably better than yours."

"No way! You had the roe. That's ten times worse than the herring."

"Maybe to you."

Anna's head popped back up. Slowly, quietly, Anna inched her face closer to the queen's, an evil grin on her lips.

Elsa didn't notice.

Anna took in a big breath and blew it all into Elsa's innocent nose. Elsa reacted like lightning, her eyes watering and clamping her hand over her nose, scuttling away in shock. She toppled over the side of the bed and onto the rug, a small scream coming from her. Anna was having a hard time breathing, she was laughing so hard.

With a sneer, Elsa blew her bangs out of her face. She stood up and brushed off her nightgown. So much for a few minutes of sleep.

"Well, that was fantastic," Elsa snorted.

She glared at her little sister, still laughing and leaning against the wall. Putting being the regal queen aside, Elsa jumped onto her bed and over to the other side. She got into Anna's face and blew her morning breath right back. Anna recoiled and grimaced heavily, ducking underneath Elsa and waving away the stink from her nose. She gagged and heard Elsa laugh this time.

So it was like that, huh?

Anna tried to counter but Elsa grabbed her pillow and threw it in Anna's face. The princess stumbled backwards and onto her bed, shaking herself out of the surprise attack. Elsa was grinning and crossing her arms, an air of pride surrounding her.

"Oh, really?" Anna sassed, throwing the pillow back.

"Uh-huh," Elsa smirked, catching it. "What are you gonna do about it?"

Anna reached behind her and grabbed her own pillow. She leapt up and started to hit Elsa hard with it. Elsa screamed with laughter and tried to hit back, feathers erupting from the cloth.

* * *

"You still have a feather in your hair," Anna said, reaching up and picking it out.

They were walking downstairs to the dining hall. Their battle had gotten out of hand and Elsa ended up throwing a snowball into Anna's face. It soon became a full fledged snowball fight, the snow supplied by Elsa of course. But their room was now a mess, covered in clumps of wet feathers. They knew that the maids were _not_ going to have fun cleaning that up.

"Thanks," Elsa said, running a hand through her bangs. "Anymore?"

"Nope. How about me?" Anna asked, turning her head in a few angles so Elsa could check her over.

"Not one," Elsa confirmed.

"Great," Anna said, facing forward. "Who d'you think asked for you this early?"

"I have no idea," Elsa replied honestly. "Maybe it's an official or something."

"Maybe Rapunzel wants to talk."

"No— Kai said 'he.'"

"Oh yeah."

They fell silent as they reached the foyer and took a right. The palace hand opened the doors for them and they entered the dining hall. Waiting for Elsa in her chair was…

"P-Prince Thomas," Elsa said, her breath hitching in her throat.

She exchanged a slight open-mouthed expression with Anna, both of them at a loss for words. The princess laughed awkwardly and shuffled backwards.

"Oh, ha! Okay, I'll leave you two alone," Anna said. "I'm gonna go find Kristoff and take him out for breakfast."

"Anna!" Elsa croaked helplessly.

"Bye-ee!" Anna sang, a shadow of a grin on her face as the door shut behind her.

Elsa clutched her hands together, panicking slightly. She noticed some ice growing along the frame of the door and prayed Thomas didn't see. She turned back to look at him. It was just the two of them… alone.

How was she going to cope with this?

* * *

**And Prince Thomas returns (after one chapter). Tell me if Eugene or Rapunzel were a little OC because I felt that they were. I could be wrong but… I want to make sure.**

**Okay! I hope you guys will enter some songs. I also take headcannons or chapter ideas. Let me know. Follow me on Tumblr (athpluver) and I **_**always**_** follow back!**

**See you next time!**


	4. Chapter 4: Thomas's Visit

**Hi.**

**So Thomas has returned and requested an audience with our favorite snow queen who half of the male population would date and a majority of the female population would go gay with (admit it: we all would in a second). She's perfect.**

**But right now, Thomas has her attention. And Anna being a super supportive sister and just leaving her alone with the guy. Good job, Anna. How will Elsa's meeting with the prince go?**

**Again, if you guys love to write songs, I am willing to accept all kinds of songs for the characters to sing. I ended up figuring out a few things I'm looking for in a song: A lullaby that the sister's mother used to sing to them, a duet between Kristoff and Anna, a duet about Thomas between Elsa and Anna, maybe a song for Thomas once you get to know him, and a song between the cousins about how tiring being royalty is (but not Lorde's song **_**Royals**_**) because they must be so done with the officials and trade partners and the ambassadors and having to be proper and so on.**

**If you have any ideas for a song, shoot me a PM or put it in a review. I'll be happy to see what you have to offer.**

**Disclaimer: Disney owns FROZEN**

* * *

Anna had left her with Prince Thomas. Anna _left_ her there… alone… with no-one else to turn to. Great. So much for being a supportive little sister. Elsa was having a hard time looking away from him. He was sitting so poised on her seat at the head of the table. The places were still set for Anna and Kristoff on the right and for Rapunzel and Eugene on the left. Elsa's spot was taken, of course, but her plate had been eaten off of. Thomas seemed to have called for a breakfast before she arrived. He was smiling serenely, as if he had the authority to sit in the queen's dining chair. His arms were folded over his chest, his warm brown eyes boring into her cold blue ones.

"Good morning," he greeted plainly. "So sorry, is this your chair? I assumed you'd sit with your sister but…" He trailed off with a small shrug. "I guess I was wrong."

"What do you want?"

Elsa didn't mean to sound so demanding. She was trying to steady her voice so it wouldn't shake with the rest of her body. Really, she had no idea why she was shaking in the first place.

"Well, I thought I could talk to you about a few things," Thomas said, ignoring her tone. "You see, my brother— my eldest brother— was a little concerned for Arendelle after you cut off Weselton as a trade partner."

"I have my reasons," Elsa said.

"Oh, don't misunderstand," Thomas said, getting out of her seat and striding over to her. "I _know_ you have your reasons, and so does my brother, but we are hoping that your trade of ice, dresses, and chocolate won't go to waste with some rinky-dink country."

"What are you suggesting?"

"We are interested in your plan, is all."

"I have yet to meet with my adviser about future trade partners to take Weselton's place."

"I see." He reached into his coat and handed her a folded document. "I do hope this finds your eyes during your work. Please consider England to fill the void Weselton has created."

Elsa hesitantly took it. He cleared his throat and his business-like tone came to an end and he addressed her with more casualty.

"Queen Elsa, I'd like to get to know you a little more," he said with a half-bow.

"Wait, what?"

"May you show me around Arendelle? I can ask nobody but you," he said.

"I'm sorry, I'm confused. You went from trade to me giving you a tour?"

Thomas flushed and stood straight, suddenly not looking very princely. He rubbed the back of his neck and smiled nervously.

"Yes— erm— no, I… I'd just," he stuttered, his eyes darting around. "It can wait, I mean— no, you're probably hungry— well, I'd just… no… uh."

He grinned sheepishly and shut himself up.

Elsa couldn't help but to smile. She closed her eyes and showed her teeth, trying not to giggle at his clumsiness. What a transition. How does someone go from regal to skittish in a matter of seconds? He blinked and folded his hands behind his back, feeling incredibly foolish as he watched her try to contain her laughter.

"I unfortunately have many things to do today," Elsa said, sounding genuine. She looked up into his eyes. "But, if you like, I can see you this evening and show you around town. I'll be available then…"

"Brilliant! I mean… uh." He coughed awkwardly. "That sounds lovely."

"Just come back around five. I should be done by then," she told him.

He took her hand and kissed it. "I'll be waiting. Good day, your Majesty."

Thomas strode past her and out of the dining hall. Elsa let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding in and went to her seat. She called for a new plate and her breakfast, rubbing her temple with her fingers and tossing the document on her placemat. The doors opened and Rapunzel walked in, sitting at her spot beside Elsa, across from where Anna usually sat.

"Good morning!" she sang, the servers coming in and placing meals before them. "How'd you sleep?"

"Fine…" Elsa replied dryly.

Rapunzel cocked her head to the side. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing, nothing," Elsa said with a shake of her head.

The princess looked at the door and then back at Elsa. She split into a grin and took her fork in her hand.

"Was it about that cute guy that just left the castle?" she teased, her eyes gleaming with mischief, like Anna's sometimes did.

"…You thought he was cute?" Elsa said, raising her eyebrow and picking up her cup.

"Well, sure. I mean, not as good looking as Eugene—"

Elsa snorted into her tea.

"But was it about him?" Rapunzel pressed.

"He's just… interesting," Elsa said. "For lack of a better word. There's something about him I just can't quite put my finger on." She glanced down at the folded document that Thomas gave her, resting on the table beside her plate.

* * *

Anna was barely speaking to him. Which he didn't understand because she had dragged him out to breakfast. He declined at first but ended up submitting when she gave him a kiss and a pleading, puppy-dog look. Kristoff then let her take his hand and run out of the stables and into town.

Now, she was sitting in the cafe distractedly, her eyes glued to the castle outside the window, tapping her finger on the table. Kristoff tried following her gaze to see what she was looking at but he couldn't find anything _worth_ her attention. Over the heads of the shopkeepers and citizens was the mighty castle, standing tall and strong. But Anna was straining her eyes, as if she was trying to see inside the fortress.

"Anna," Kristoff tried. "Anna, are you—?"

"Hush," she hissed, perking up a little. "He's coming out."

"Who are—?"

"_Sh!_"

Kristoff grunted and crossed his arms. Anna stared as Thomas came out of the castle gates, brushing his suit off as he went. He kept walking until he crossed towards the docks. He spoke with the harbor master for a moment and then entered his ship, where he was staying during his time in Arendelle. Anna groaned and sunk in her seat.

"Oh… she's not with him," she pouted, glaring down at her teacup.

"_Who_ are you talking about?" Kristoff demanded.

"That prince that asked for Elsa this morning," Anna said, glancing up into his eyes. "He was at the ball, too, and she accidentally whacked him in the head while I was dancing with her."

"Elsa hit him in the head?"

"Yes, pay attention. But he was really nice about it and… and _Elsa_… ooh, she looked so blown away when she stared at him," Anna said, getting dreamier by the second. "I think she likes him."

"Like, likes him, likes him?" Kristoff said, digging her enthusiasm.

"It's impossible to _really_ tell but… It would be so nice for Elsa to have somebody in her life…" She smiled at him. "Like I do."

Kristoff smiled back. "You're really something, Anna."

She giggled and picked up her tea. She raised it in a toast and winked at him.

"To us," she teased.

"To us," Kristoff agreed, clinking his orange juice against her cup.

* * *

That afternoon, as Elsa was coming out of her study reading a book, she was startled by Anna popping out from behind a suit of armor. Elsa clutched her chest and gasped when she came out of the blue, a devilish grin on her face. When it registered that it was her sister, Elsa calmed and whacked the book on Anna's arm.

"Are you trying to kill me?" Elsa snapped and kept walking down the hall.

"No," Anna said, skipping in stride with her. "I just wanted to know how your morning went."

"It was nice. Rapunzel and I talked about how we might go to Corona next summer to celebrate her birthday," Elsa said.

"Not about that!" Anna said. "About Prince Thomas."

"What about Thomas?" Elsa said, eyeing her.

"What did he want?"

Elsa wasn't crazy about Anna's tone. It was snide and teasing, her grin spreading even wider if that was possible. The girl wanted some dirt, wanted to hear whether or not Thomas flirted with Elsa, wanted to know if Elsa liked him. The queen rolled her eyes and turned the corner, Anna still at her side.

"He wanted to know about my plans to fill in Weselton's spot in the trade," Elsa said simply. "That's all."

Anna's face fell. "Oh, that's boring."

"I'm so sorry I couldn't entertain you," Elsa quipped. "Now, can you tell Kai I'm taking my lunch in the library. I have treaties to look over."

"That's boring, too," Anna droned.

"I agree but it has to be done."

"Pfft, whatever." Anna continued down the hall as Elsa entered the library. "I'll let Kai know that you're being boring!"

"Thanks," Elsa called back, smirking.

She closed the door behind her and moved towards the candles. She picked up a matchbox and struck a single match, lighting them as she went from stick to stick. She tossed her match into the fireplace and let it die out, sitting at the desk and dipping her quill into the ink bottle.

By the time four-thirty rolled around, the candles were melted halfway and her lunch plate had been cleared away by Gerda. Elsa's eyes were itchy and tired after staring at illegible scrawls from dignitaries in France and Ireland. She shifted her papers around until she came across the paper Thomas gave her that morning. She unfolded it and read, her eyebrows inching together. Her mind grew bored and groggy and the scripture no longer registered. Elsa didn't feel like reading the entire thing so she put it aside, hoping to speak to Kai about it later.

She glanced at the grandfather clock, ticking dully in the corner, and realized what time it was. Thomas was coming in thirty minutes…

Her stomach did a backflip.

Thomas was coming in thirty minutes to see her.

Oh, no! Did she look okay? Elsa bolted out of her seat and to the mirror. Her hair was in a braid and her bangs were beautifully messy. Her dress was slightly wrinkled and—

Wait.

_Slow down, Elsa_, she thought sternly.

Why did she care how she looked? She was just showing the man Arendelle and what it had to offer. There was nothing she had to be concerned about. She nodded forcefully and turned towards the door. She waved a hand and a cold breeze blew out all the candles. Without looking back, she left the library and entered the hall. A sudden blur of strawberry blond and green, quickly followed by brown and pink, sped past her and she stopped dead, thanking goodness she wasn't run over by whatever passed her by. She looked after the blurs to see Anna and Rapunzel crash into a suit of armor, their slippers off and their socks dirty with the grime on the floors of the castle.

So they had been sock skating.

Anna's favorite pastime.

"Hiya, Elsa!" Anna shouted from down the hall. "I'll fix the armor, I promise."

Elsa knew that was an empty promise.

Rapunzel groaned and rubbed her head. "Sorry about that," she added. "Wow, that was fun!"

"C'mon, let's slide down the stairs!" Anna said, getting up from the floor and running by Elsa, Rapunzel at her heels. Elsa heard their laughter continue as their bottoms hit the railing, and their giggling fade as they reached the landing.

At least Anna had a playmate at the moment. She knew if her sister found out Elsa was going out with Thomas tonight, she would stalk them throughout the evening to see if anything happened. So as surreptitiously as she could, Elsa strode down the stairs and peeked towards the ballroom, where their laughter was coming from. She sighed in relief and entered the foyer, where Thomas was speaking to Kai. He noticed her over Kai's shoulder and smiled.

"Ah, your Majesty," he said. "Kai was just about to fetch you."

"Well, no need," Elsa said. "Thank you, Kai. That will be all."

The butler bowed and went to the kitchen to oversee that evening's meal. Thomas offered his arm to Elsa.

"Shall we?" he chimed.

Elsa hesitated. She was surprised at herself for even going out with a complete stranger. Elsa was still having problems giving her sister affection sometimes. Nervously hugging her back when Anna would give her a random embrace during the day and worrying she would freeze her when Anna would sneak into her bed at night. But taking the arm of Thomas seemed to be a crazy thing to try out. She glanced into his eyes with a raised eyebrow like 'yeah, that's not gonna happen.' He shrugged and lowered his arm, heading out the door with her and acting as if it never happened.

They went out into the balmy summer air, walking side-by-side. Elsa was waiting for him to say something but soon realized that _she_ was giving the tour and had to speak up first. She motioned to the docks and pointed out which boats were the fastest of their line-up. She showed him the local shops and Kristoff's ice business, saying hello to him and Sven as she went. Kristoff sent her a questioning glance but she shook her head at him. He got the message: don't tell Anna.

They traveled along the upperclass streets and into the slums and back again. Thomas was taking everything in, nodding to himself and snickering when Elsa would make a dry comment about something. She even went as far to tell him about Arendelle's Eternal winter five weeks ago and how the fjords froze over.

She wondered if Thomas was going to freak out and jump away from her. Call her a monster, call her a witch, and demand why she was in charge of a kingdom. But he didn't. He observed the fjords fondly and smiled.

They were leaning against the castle bridge's railing that overlooked them, the waves crashing against the rocks beneath the castle. Night had fallen and the stars were twinkling brightly above them, the moon hanging in a crescent and reflecting against the waters.

"That's quite an adventure," Thomas said finally. "You have ice powers, yes, I'm aware." He turned his head to look at her. "I heard all about it from my little brother. He was in Arendelle during your coronation."

"O-oh."

A beat. Then—

"May I see it?" he asked.

"I'm sorry?"

"Can I see your magic?"

Elsa reached her hand out and flexed her fingers, creating little wisps of ice and snow from the tips. They fluttered around the pair and sparkled as they were swept away in the wind. Elsa created a perfect snowflake in her palm and smiled down at it. Then she flexed her palm gently and the snowflake lifted, shining brightly in the lamplight above them. Thomas reached out to it and prodded it with his finger. It burst in a flurry of snow and got into his dark locks. Elsa giggled as he shook them out of his hair.

"It's beautiful magic," he complimented. "I suppose your own beauty effects it."

"That's what Anna says," Elsa replied, trying not to blush at his comment on her beauty. "Arendelle has accepted the fact that I can create a snowstorm in a mere second and they love it when I make an ice rink in the courtyard but… I need to be careful with my emotions." She sighed and leaned her arms on the cool stone railing. "If they get too out of hand… then I could cover my kingdom with snow all over again."

"That must be hard," Thomas sympathized. "Keeping it in like that…"

"But I know how to thaw it, thankfully," Elsa said. "Anna taught me that love… love is the way to thaw any frozen heart, so to speak." She peeked at him. "I'm surprised you're not afraid of me. Most people I meet are afraid of me at first."

"Why would I be?" Thomas said, gazing into her eyes.

Elsa felt her face flush. Dang, he was smooth.

Wait, what?

She rolled her eyes and forced a casual smirk, staring back out into the fjords.

"Tell me about yourself," Elsa said, changing the subject. "You're second in line for the crown, right?"

"That's right. I'm the middle child of three brothers. My father is the king still, but he's on his way out." Thomas sighed heavily. "So that means my brother, Peter, will be taking over once he's gone. And don't even get me _started _on Peter. All I hear from him is about my future and what I'm planning on doing to marry into a throne, become a king…" He sighed again, his fingers clawing at the stone. "I'm twenty-four and it's all king this, throne that, do as you're told and keep your little brother in line." He grunted sourly. "It's stressful."

"I understand completely," Elsa said. "I'm barely in adulthood and I have too much to do. And poor Anna… I was separated from her for thirteen years and I have no idea how to rekindle what was lost…"

They fell into a heavy silence, their minds wandering on the stress of their family and positions in life. Elsa sniffed and smoothed out the folds of her dress, clearing her throat briskly, hoping to break the uneasy air between them.

"Well, Thomas," she said. "It was very nice to get to know you. I should be heading back inside. I have a few things to take care of before bed."

"Right… well, I had a fantastic night," Thomas bowed his head. "Until next time, Queen Elsa."

"Please— just call me Elsa," she suggested.

He blinked and smiled widely. "As you wish."

Thomas walked back to the docks to his ship, a slight bounce in his stride. Elsa returned to the castle, ready for a good night's sleep. She entered her bedroom, now clean and free of feathers, and spotted Anna sitting at the vanity again, brushing her hair with a little difficulty. She smiled at Elsa, indicating she saw her enter, then returned to her battle with her locks. Elsa removed her dress and changed into her nightgown, her fingers whisking through her bangs again, making sure they were still tangle-free.

"Having trouble?" she asked Anna.

"N-no," Anna grunted, pulling out a kink. "Not at all."

"Do you want me to redo your hair into a braid or… are you good?" Elsa said, suppressing a grin.

"I'm good!" Anna said firmly. Her brush caught on a hard knot and Anna yanked, the momentum sending the brush flying out of her hand and smashing to the floor with a loud _clunk!_ She looked up at Elsa through the mirror, who was seriously trying to keep a straight face.

"Don't you dare laugh," Anna warned.

"I'm not!" Elsa said, turning away quickly and throwing her blankets back.

Anna picked her brush up and continued.

"So where were you at dinner?" Anna said, still watching her reflection.

"I was out," Elsa replied dryly.

"Doing what?"

"Just some errands. I had to pick up a new ink bottle because the black one was running out."

"It took you three hours to get an ink bottle?"

"No… I did other stuff."

Anna was skeptical but didn't press the issue. She finished brushing her hair and began to braid it in two.

"How was dinner?" Elsa said, sitting on her bed and fixing her own braid.

"It was good. Kristoff and Eugene seem to be getting along," Anna said.

"Oh, that's great."

"Uh-huh."

Silence.

"Elsa, what were you _really_ doing?" Anna said, turning around so she could face her sibling. "Ink bottle? Do you believe I'm that dumb?"

"I never said—"

"'Cause that's, like, super offensive."

There was a small smirk on Anna's face, indicating she was slightly joking. But Elsa knew she wasn't going to let this go. The queen flopped down onto her bed and stared up at her canopy, chewing on her lip distractedly. She heard the soft footsteps of Anna and the princess flopped right next to her.

"You gonna tell me?" Anna said quietly.

"I was just giving Prince Thomas a tour, is all," Elsa said.

"Ooh! Prince Thomas!"

"Okay, okay, enough."

Anna giggled. "Sorry."

"That's the only thing that happened and it _won't_ happen again." Elsa sat up, Anna following. "He's only here on business. He _is_ a gentleman…"

"But?" Anna urged.

"But we're trade allies and that's it."

"Allllright..."

Anna sounded unconvinced.

"You think I'm lying?"

"No, no, no!"

Elsa had suddenly gone all defensive, her eyes bright with determination.

"I never said that," Anna assured.

Elsa closed her eyes. "Sorry…"

"Hey, it's okay," Anna said, hanging her elbow off of Elsa's shoulder. "But whatever happens, I'm here. You know that, right?"

The queen opened her eyes and smiled. "I know." She pressed a kiss on Anna's forehead and smoothed her bangs lovingly. "I love you, Anna."

"I love you, too, Elsa," Anna said, capturing her sister in a hug. "Good night."

The princess got to her feet and jumped into her own bed, snuggling underneath the blankets. Elsa put out the candles with a breeze and pulled the covers over her own body. She gazed outside the window at the moon and couldn't help but wonder…

Was Thomas looking at it, too?

* * *

**Some budding romance? Hm… Elsa open your heart, it's okay! We'll love you no matter what! Did any of you in high school get the last reference from _The Outsiders_?**

**So, yeah, guys! Send in some songs. I'm open to anything you come up with.**

**Follow me on Tumblr (athpluver) and I **_**always**_** follow back! I reblog a bunch of Frozen stuff so you can get some extra feels on your dashboard. *High Five!***

**See you next time!**


	5. Chapter 5: Who We Are Meant to Be

**Good news, everyone!**

**We have a song in this chapter! It was beautifully written by reader, ASianSuccessor2012. It's a song that is sung between Rapunzel, Anna, and Elsa who are just so tired of being royalty! (**_Royals_ plays in the background. **Knock it off, Lorde).**

**The song they wrote is called "Who We Are Meant to Be" and it's a fast-tempo song (except during this one bit with Elsa) and it's a wonderful example of what could happen with one of your own songs if you choose to enter any.**

**Disclaimer: Disney owns FROZEN and "Who We Are Meant to Be" belongs to ASianSuccessor2012**

* * *

_Bang, bang, bang_.

Again with the knocking!

It was like they were _trying_ to wake her up on the wrong side of the bed. How was it fair to the other of the girl in the room, too? Elsa's morning schedule interfered with Anna getting her usual extra hour. Elsa woke at six, Anna woke at seven. There was a specific schedule because if Anna didn't get that extra hour, she would be a zombie for the rest of the day.

As if one hour made a difference, some of the servants thought.

It made a big difference, known by the sisters and their late parents.

Even as a child, Elsa would get up early as training for her future and Anna got the privilege to snooze for a little while longer. But no— Kai thought that it was perfectly fine to wake them both at six sharp.

So when the knocking started, Anna groaned loudly and dug her head under her pillow. Elsa grimaced and sat up, rubbing her eyes and glaring at the door.

"Kai…" Elsa said dangerously. "I told you that you can come in and wake me up."

"That wouldn't be proper, your Majesty," came his response.

Elsa glanced across the room over at Anna, who was peeking at her from underneath her pillow. They shared an incredulous look before Anna hid her face again. Elsa lay back down and closed her eyes, not really wanting to get up anyway.

"Uh… your Majesty?"

"_What?_"

"You have a few things to take care of before breakfast," Kai reminded her.

"Like what?" Elsa moaned, already sinking back into the mattress.

"The documents from Spain about the new carpets they wish to ship in and—" Kai started but Elsa cut him off.

"That's today?" Elsa said.

"Yes, your Majesty."

Elsa was staring up at her canopy again, her sleepy brain barely working at full capacity. She was blinking stupidly, not quite registering everything that was going on. Anna hadn't continued snoring so she was still awake… or at least struggling to go back to sleep. Once Elsa was up, Anna had a hard time returning to her near-comatose state. So the queen called back with as much authority she could muster this early.

"I'm staying in one more hour," she said forcefully. "I can deal with that later this afternoon."

"But, your Majesty—"

"Thank you, Kai!"

He cleared his throat with dignity and moved on, his footsteps receding. Elsa turned on her side so she was facing the window. Her eyes were closed but her habit of getting up this early was starting to kick in and her mind was waking up. She tried to shut it off by thinking of things that usually put her to sleep but it did her no justice.

It wasn't until she felt a body collapse beside her did she open her eyes again. She looked over her shoulder to see Anna snuggling underneath the covers. She clutched one of the pillows in her arms and scrunched her eyebrows.

"I don't care if my breath stinks, your schedule bothers me," Anna told her gruffly. "You owe me this morning for waking me for nothing."

Elsa smiled. "Fine."

She turned so she was facing Anna instead. The princess scooted closer and Elsa let her grip her waist and share the pillow. Elsa closed her eyes and remembered how Anna's warm presence was an easy way to slip back into slumber. Before she knew it, Anna was snoring again, ready to continue her usual morning routine. Elsa's smile faded as consciousness fell away from her and she followed her sister into the world of dreams.

Even if it was just for another hour.

* * *

Not proper, he said. You _have_ to do these things, he said.

Elsa was seething in the study, wringing her hands together with fury. Kai had given her the dirtiest glance this morning when she and Anna went down for breakfast. She sometimes wondered how her father had put up with him! Sure, Kai could be a wonderful helping hand and was kind and respectful but once Elsa decided to take a different path in the morning routine.

All hell broke loose!

Ooh, how she wanted to say something to him. But that wouldn't have been 'proper.' She suddenly understood how frustrated Anna felt when the servants scolded her for being herself.

Once, when they were little, Anna, who must have been nine at the time, came crying to Elsa's locked door. She knocked hard and complained that one of their maids yelled at her for running in the portrait room and singing to the paintings.

"They're my friends," she had sobbed. "Elsa, you gotta do something!"

Elsa was twelve and thought Anna was crazy for talking to the paintings and calling them friends but… what else was the poor girl gonna do? She was lonely twenty-four/seven without Elsa to hang out with. In favor and pity for her little sister, she told her parents about the situation and the maid got in trouble. The snow _princess_ had heard a knock on her door the next morning and Anna's voice.

"Thank you, Elsa," she had said.

Elsa had smiled and spoke to her for the first time in a long time.

"You're welcome, Anna."

The little girl had been so overjoyed to hear her sister's response, she squealed and tried to coax Elsa back outside to play again but Elsa fell silent, not wanting to jeopardize her situation any more. Anna soon realized that she wasn't going to come back out and walked away, but was slightly more elated than she usually was when she left Elsa's door in defeat.

So, now back in present, Elsa was learning what it was like to live on the outside and experience the disapproval of someone much older than you… Someone who thinks they're right all the time, even though they were of a lower class.

Then Elsa scolded herself, feeling a little disgusted with her recent thought. Someone of lower class. What kind of message did that send out? Just because she was queen, she was expected to be so regal and proper but that didn't mean she was stuck up about it.

She checked the time and saw eleven rolling around. She had promised to meet Anna and Rapunzel downstairs in the ballroom so they could have a snowball fight (Anna's idea and Rapunzel _loved_ it). Elsa drew herself up and breathed through her nose, trying to calm herself. The snow that her anger had been causing, died away and vanished.

* * *

Meanwhile, Anna was super excited. She was going to spend time with her sister and cousin in the bonding matter in which she had become accustomed: snow! Snow had always been Anna's favorite kind of weather because it always reminded her of her sister and the fun they shared. Elsa had yet to tell Anna why they were separated for thirteen years but Anna had a feeling it had to do with her powers.

But that didn't mean they used to have fun during the winter months.

Anna was in her own study full of poetry and some of her personal short stories, papers littering the floor and flying all over the place. Over the years, she had come up with a hobby to keep her occupied and she discovered how much she loved to write stories. She had books full of notes and markings for inspiration, a personal poetry book she bound herself, and her bookshelf was messy, the books haphazardly shoved into it.

It was truly a workshop.

Most of the maids avoided it because, once you moved something, Anna would throw a fit and demand where a certain paper was. Somehow being in the mess, she knew where everything was. Elsa had entered it once when she had returned from the North Mountain and recoiled a little, not quite remembering this room and its perfect sloppiness.

When Anna's clock chimed eleven, her head snapped up from her desk and she grinned, her nose dotted with ink from her speed of writing. She put everything 'away' and took her shoes off, ready to slide down the hall and hopefully meet up with one of the girls and drag them with her.

Anna burst through her door and took off running. She jumped up a little and her socks hit the floor, sending her gliding down the hall. She even pulled off a twirl and managed to make the turn down the hallway of Elsa's old room, and now personal study, without crashing into something. She passed by Elsa's door and almost made it to the stairs, readying her momentum and hoping to jump and slide down the railing to make a perfect glide but her arm was caught by somebody's hand.

Anna yelled.

She was yanked back and she slipped, falling on her butt.

"Hey!" she growled, blowing her bangs out of her eyes. She glared up at the person who stopped her and she found herself staring at Gerda.

Oh… she had expected Elsa.

"Your Highness," Gerda said sternly. "You shouldn't be running in the halls."

"Technically, I wasn't running," Anna said, getting to her feet and tugging on her shoes. "I was _sliding_, Gerda."

"Either way. You're a princess and princesses are ladies," Gerda reminded her smoothing out the shoulders on Anna's dress.

"Stop it," Anna whined, snaking away. "I'm fine."

Gerda pursed her lips and moved on, shaking her head heavily. Anna pouted and stalked down the stairs, her hands behind her back. Gerda had always been Anna's royal advisor, her personal maid. Anna learned everything she needed to know about being a princess from the woman but… she sometimes felt that Gerda was trying too hard. So what? Anna was running down the halls! She did that all the time.

She heard that Gerda once told Elsa about it with distaste in her voice but Elsa told her to leave Anna be and let her do what she wanted. It wasn't hurting anybody— except for the few selected suits of armor— so why should they be concerned?

The princess reached the landing and took a left to the ballroom, her excited mood from before evaporated completely. Waiting for her inside was Rapunzel, who was striding in circles around the room and humming to herself. She noticed Anna walk inside and smiled brightly— but the smile vanished at once when she saw how upset Anna looked.

"Are you okay?" Rapunzel asked, moving towards her.

"Yeah, I just— I'm tired of everything," Anna said, leaning against a pillar. She gazed around the room. "Where's Elsa?"

"Here," came Elsa's voice.

The two princesses turned towards the door to see Elsa shutting it behind her. The queen didn't look too happy either, her eyes lidded and her mouth scowling slightly.

"What happened?" Rapunzel said to both of them.

"Gerda." "Kai."

The sisters exchanged surprised looks and started to smile, realizing they were in the same boat.

"Kai's just being his overly stuffy self again," Elsa said, spreading her hands and letting some snow fall from her fingers.

"And Gerda told me to stop running in the halls," Anna said. "Ugh! We're all expected to be so prim and proper… but I hate it."

"I know exactly what you're talking about," Rapunzel sympathized. "All I heard from my advisors once I got back to Corona was—" She but on a snooty voice. "'Rapunzel, chin up! Shoulders back! Princesses don't slouch!'"

"And all Gerda tells me is, 'Don't run in the halls, your Highness. A princess is supposed to be a lady,'" Anna added, curtsying sarcastically.

All three girls giggled.

"Don't even get me started on how Mama and Papa would try to teach me to hide my powers!" Elsa imputed. She threw her hands up in the air and the snow she had been creating flew all around them. "'Conceal, don't feel!'" she shouted up at the snow, twirling around and letting it collect in her open hands.

Her arms dropped to her sides and they all put their hands on their hips.

"We're through!" they all cried, their tempers rising.

Elsa thrust her hand out and twisted around, creating a winter wonderland complete with and icy staircase going to a platform in the rafters. Then she swirled a ball of snow in her hand and threw it upwards, where it burst and more snow began to fall all around them. Rapunzel jumped up on an ice block and crossed her arms, her nose in the air.

"Picture this…" she said, gaining the sisters' attention.

Rapunzel:

_I'm in a situation  
__In which the entire nation  
__And it's way of living depends on me._

"That's where I am!" Elsa said.

Rapunzel jumped off the block and began to step in the snow on her tiptoes, her hands behind her back.

_Graceful steps upon the floor,  
__Then I open up the door  
__And I'm face-to-face with the royal board!  
__They expect me to be 'this and that,'  
__To raise my chin up,  
__Keep my shoulders back,_

Rapunzel did so, her eyes wide and bright, darting around like she was nervous. Her hands were clasping in front of her stomach, her fingers the only thing keeping them together. Then she grinned and twirled around the other two.

_And my whole life's deprived of being free,  
__Can't you see?_

She spread her arms and sang at the top over her voice, gazing up at the ceiling. If she concentrated hard enough, it was like she was back in the open fields in the woods near Corona.

_Look at me,  
__I'm the girl who I was born to be,  
__I'm not just some sophisticated royalty.  
__So let those feelings go,  
__Who I am is who I'll show._

She dropped her arms and stuck her thumb in her chest, grinning at her cousins.

_Nothing you can do will ever change me,  
__From who I'm meant to be._

"I remember being free at one point," she said. "Traveling around with Eugene without any rules or worries… well, I did have a few worries but— rules? Forget 'em!"

"Even out in a snow storm in the mountains, I had fun with Kristoff and I was able to be who I am for a change," Anna said dreamily. "Nobody could judge me."

"Or tell you off," Elsa said.

"Or say 'no,'" Rapunzel joined.

Anna ran into the middle of the floor and up the icy steps.

Anna:

_Every nook and every corner,  
__Every cranny, every boarder,  
__There are people keeping an eye on me!_

She sat on the railing and slid back down, still singing.

_They watch my every move,  
__Every fidget, every groove,  
__How can I get back to reality?_

She reached the landing and spun around the pillars. She imagined herself dancing through the snow-covered woods as she hiked up to the North Mountain to find Elsa.

_Every time I'm being scolded  
__After running through the halls and,  
__I don't care if that's not how it's gonna be,  
__This is my decree!_

She grabbed the curtains and draped them around her shoulders, pretending to be graceful and lady-like, earning laughs from Elsa and Rapunzel. She kept singing.

_Look at me,  
__I'm the girl who I was born to be,  
__I'm not just some sophisticated royalty_

She wiggled her shoulder and her strap fell. She gasped dramatically but giggled, unable to take herself seriously.

_So let those feelings go,  
__Who I am is who I'll show.  
__Nothing you can do will ever change me,  
__From who I'm meant to be!_

She ran towards the others and linked arms with both of them. They all began to skip through the snowy ballroom and sang as one.

All:

_Is this the life we were destined to live,  
__Though our lives tell different stories?  
__The real me is all I can give,  
__This is who they'll see…  
__They'll see me!_

They dropped to the floor and started to laugh again, the snow falling on their freckled faces. Their laughter harmonized and reverberated through the room. Anna popped up and poked her older sister in the face.

"We haven't heard Elsa's story yet!" she said.

Elsa hesitated and shook her head.

"Oh, come on!" Rapunzel said. "We told, now your turn!"

"But I really don't think I should," Elsa tried.

"Elsa, say it! Say it! Say it!" Anna cheered and Rapunzel joined her.

"Okay, fine!" Elsa said, getting to her feet. The princesses went shoulder to shoulder to watch the queen.

Elsa:

_Nothing was the same,  
__When someone called upon my name.  
__I took my chance on my life's familiar game.  
__Constant knockings on my door,  
__I've heard that many times before  
__I thought I knew what I have been waiting for._

She smirked at Anna and the princess blushed but smiled nonetheless, wrapping her arm around Rapunzel's. Elsa's grin receded as she recalled a sadder memory, her heart heavy. The snow around them hung in the air with grief and Elsa closed her eyes.

_Then I only had to hide  
__My special power deep inside,  
__I had no strength to let it show…  
__No one would ever know._

Then she smiled again, another memory passing through her. The snow began to fall faster and she regained her confidence. She ran up the steps and stood on the platform in the rafters, imagining she was on the balcony of her Ice Palace facing the sunrise, and belted.

_Until one day I chose to flee,  
__Someplace else where I'd be free!  
_

She thrust both her arms out and snowflakes poured out of her hands with a laugh.

_And I returned to make them see…  
__That this is me!_

Like Anna, she glided down the railing and landed on her feet in the snow. The two others got up and ran to her, joining hands with her so the three of them made a circle. Elsa kept singing.

_Look at me!  
__I'm the girl who I was born to be!_

The princesses chimed in with her and they began to spin around.

All:

_We'll never change,  
__In this we can agree!  
__Everybody ought to know  
__Our true selves is what we'll show._

Anna:

_Nothing you can do will ever change me._

Rapunzel:

_Our true colors is what everyone will see._

All:

_This will be our final decree…  
__This is who we are meant to be!_

They let go of each other's hands and collapsed in the powder white snow, laughing and out of breath. As they stared up into the ceiling, their smiles faded and they knew that it was just a fantasy they could never live without judgement. Elsa sat up first and closed her eyes, drawing her knees to her chest and watching the snow fall. Rapunzel sat up second, leaning back on her hands and crossing her legs. Anna sat up last, her hands in her lap and a frown on her face. They all sang as one, their voices slower and sadder.

All:

_This will be our final decree…  
__This is who we are meant to be…_

The girls looked at one another and sighed.

* * *

He had requested her audience again, in the throne room this time ("We have a throne room?" asked Anna. "Yes, Anna, we've been in there a million times," was Elsa's response). It was in the evening, the sun sinking behind the fjords and the stars peeking out of the orange and purple canopy that painted across the sky. Elsa really wondered why Thomas was so persistent on talking to her.

She had hoped he was finished, having given her the document to look over, and would just return to England. She also assumed that their outing the other night had been just a courteous 'thank you' for her understanding and acceptance of his request.

She entered the throne room, which had yet to be redone for Elsa's tastes. The room was of moderate size with four plush thrones. One large one where the King would usually sit, a medium sized one for the Queen, and two smaller sizes for Elsa and Anna when they were children. As the oldest, Elsa was on the right of her father while Anna was on the left of her mother.

Elsa hadn't been in this room since her parent's death. The night of her parent's funeral, after she shared moment of grief with Anna and she had left her alone, Elsa snuck out of her room to sit on her father's throne and cry and talk to her parents and apologize.

So being back inside was a little uncomfortable for her. Thomas was standing by the thrones, observing them with those brown eyes of his. His hands were behind his back and his eyes lidded with interest.

Elsa cleared her throat and he turned, smiling pleasantly.

"Elsa," he said. "It's good to see you again."

"Nice to see you, too," she stated.

He waved a hand around the room. "You haven't done anything with the room yet… Nobody will be able to tell you're the Snow Queen with this kind of decor."

"It was my father's taste," Elsa said. "And I have no usage of the throne room. I haven't needed to hold court or anything. I tend to the people outside the castle, unlike Papa who closed the gates so _he_ held courts."

"Hm," he hummed. "And the little thrones were for you and your sister?"

Elsa spied a princess doll with blond hair on her old throne and one with red hair on Anna's. She smiled to herself, knowing full well who put those there.

"Yes," she replied.

"Will she get a throne if you were to ever redo the place?"

"I don't think Anna would care either way. She's not into the whole 'royalty' thing…" She looked into his eyes and crossed her arms. "What is it that you wanted?"

"I just wanted to know how things were coming along with your trade partnerships," he said simply, striding over to her.

"They're going fine. Kai and I have yet to look over your document so be patient," Elsa said firmly.

"Oh, no, Elsa, you misunderstand," Thomas said. "I don't really care about the document whatsoever. No— I care about…" He trailed off, suddenly becoming nervous again. He blinked and turned away from her quickly.

Elsa stared after him. She couldn't figure this guy out at all. First he's incredibly regal; a true gentleman. Then suddenly he's a skittish young adult. Maybe Elsa wasn't the only one in the room who had trouble keeping an air of pride around. Thomas adjusted his collar, whispered something to himself, and turned back around, smiling and showing his pearly whites.

Then he noticed her face.

Elsa was grinning at him, her arms still crossed, and shaking her head. She was leaning away from him a little, her eyebrows raised, completely fully of attitude. She _knew_ what he was doing.

He wasn't being himself.

"What?" he demanded.

"Stop acting like someone you're not," Elsa said.

He stared at her, his eyebrows scrunched. How did she figure him out?

"How do you—?"

"Because I'm exactly like you."

"What?"

"Thomas," she said, walking up to him. "You don't really care about keeping it prim and proper, do you?"

"N… no," he admitted, a feeling of relief washing over him. But there was also something about her that told him she wasn't telling the total truth about herself. It must've been about her snow powers. However, he didn't bring it up.

"Good," she said, turning away briskly.

"Uh— Elsa!" he called, rushing over to meet her stride. "Where are you going?"

"To dinner," she said. "Care to join us?"

They froze at the throne room door and their eyes clashed again. Elsa suddenly felt small compared to him as his chocolate eyes bored into her icy ones.

"M'lady," he offered, his hand on the knob.

He opened the door for her and stepped to the side so she could continue on. When her back was turned to him as she kept walking, Thomas shutting the door, she allowed the tiniest blush to fan her cheeks and the tiniest smile to appear on her face.

* * *

**Elsa, just admit it. You like this guy. There's something about him that you like. But we'll have to find out what that thing is in the next chapter!**

**Thanks again to ASianSuccessor2012 for your amazing song! I really enjoyed putting it in the story and I hope the rest of you are willing to write some material for the characters to sing!**

**See you next time!**


	6. Chapter 6: About Thomas

**I'm listening to Tangled non-stop. I finally got some of the songs on my iPod and I'm super happy with my life. Frozen and Tangled are my life right now.**

**Okay… so you guys have waited for a while and now here's the new chapter of **_**Coping**_**. This chapter basically explores the relationships between Elsa and Thomas; Anna and Kristoff.**

**Elsa has invited Thomas to dinner after their latest meeting. Let's see how this turns out.**

**And be sure to write some songs! I accept all kinds! But check back in chapter four's Authors Note about what I'm looking for. Thanks, guys!**

**This song I named "About Thomas" but was written by BellePheonix. It's a duet between the sisters about the prince of England that sounds similar to "For the First time in Forever."**

**Disclaimer: Disney owns FROZEN, BellePheonix owns "About Thomas."**

* * *

It seemed like the walk to the dining hall lasted an eternity. Elsa was striding plainly down the hallways, acknowledging the servants as they passed by. A few eyed Thomas with surprise but didn't say anything about him. Thomas kept glancing over at the queen, who was perfectly content in his presence… or so she appeared to be. At one point, when he gazed at her, she met his eyes.

He coughed awkwardly and she smiled, returning her eyes front.

She's just like any other member of royalty, Thomas had been told. Right, yeah, besides the ice powers… and her mysterious attitude… and almost everything else. Peter thought he could handle such a responsibility…

_Whack!_

Thomas banged his head hard on a door that had suddenly jumped into his face. Elsa gasped and placed her hands on his back to prevent him from falling over. Elsa peered around the door and the prince to see Anna and Rapunzel running down the hall, followed by Olaf.

Oh.

"Race you to dinner!" Rapunzel challenged, her feet slamming on the floor and sending her zipping down the hall on her socks.

"I know these halls inside and out, Punzie. You'll lose for sure!" shouted Anna. "C'mon, Olaf, she's gaining a head start!"

"Hold on, hold on!" the snowman cried with glee, slipping over the polished floor on his snowy stubs of feet. He and Anna tore down the hall after the princess of Corona, their laughter echoing through the corridors.

_Children… just like children,_ Elsa thought fondly.

"What just happened?" Thomas groaned, rubbing his temple with a grimace.

"Sorry about that," Elsa said, shutting the door that she realized was the room she shared with Anna. She hoped when she turned in that night it wouldn't be a disaster inside. "Anna just can't sit still… and neither can Rapunzel."

"Who was the… other?" Thomas wasn't quite sure how to describe the little creature that ran joyfully after the girls.

Elsa laughed as they continued on. "That was Olaf. He's a snowman I created."

"And he's alive?"

"Yeah… I suppose he is. He's one of my favorite creations…"

Her eyes misted over a little but she blinked away the smarting tears, her mind's eye thinking on her late nights in the ballroom with Anna. She cleared her throat as they descended the stairs.

"Anyway, he's a member of the family," Elsa went on.

"I see," Thomas said with a light chuckle.

"How's your head?"

"I'm fine. I have the thickest head in all of England, according to my brother." He knocked a fist on his skull with a grin. "But I don't think it was much of a compliment at the time."

"It can be this time," she said. "It saved your life."

"For once. It usually gets me into quite a bit of trouble at home."

They reached the foyer and headed towards the dining hall. When they entered, chaos was ensuing.

Anna was frantically trying to put poor Olaf back together, for the little snowman had crashed into the wall, sending his body apart in flurries. Kristoff was collecting snow in his hands, which was quickly melting. Rapunzel was holding Olaf's head in her arms, the head shouting out desperate orders on where his body should be packed together, while his little storm cloud hovered over him and the princess.

Eugene was standing by his seat at the table, his eyebrow raised and unsure of what to make of this scenario. He had Olaf's arms in his hands, shoved there by Anna, and was holding them out like they were some kind of disease, not knowing what he should do with them.

Elsa picked up on what was going on at once and waved her hand in a circle, calling her command upon the snow in the room, some of her own snow replacing what had melted away. Anna saw the frozen water slip from her hands and Olaf's head went flying out of Rapunzel's arms, his storm cloud following close behind. In front of Elsa, the little creature was recreated, stick arms, carrot nose, coal buttons, and all. He looked up at Elsa and smiled cheekily, his big buck tooth brightening his grin, making Elsa smile back at him.

"Olaf, how did this happen?" she asked sweetly, getting on her knees and adjusting him carefully.

"Anna and I slipped inside. Some of my ice melted during the chase and…" He gestured around sheepishly. "Everything just went— Hey! Who's this guy?" His eyes had fallen upon Thomas during his explanation, his short attention span switching so fast Elsa blinked in surprise. She followed the snowman's— now awe-struck— gaze and wondered how Thomas was going to handle this.

She looked at her sister and Anna grinned wickedly, wiggling her eyebrows at her. Elsa shot her a deadpan expression, causing the youngest to drop her smile, but there was still mischief in her eyes.

"Hi, I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs!" Olaf sang to Thomas, spreading his stick arms outward in greeting.

Thomas got on his knees beside Elsa and smiled kindly down at the snowman. He patted Olaf's little head, not flinching when his bare hands came in contact with the ice cold snow.

"Hello there, Olaf," Thomas said. "I'm Prince Thomas, a friend of Elsa's."

"Oh! Really?" Olaf got excited, his eyes darting back and forth between the queen and the prince. "Y'know, Elsa built me! On the North Mountain, yeah, she made me!"

"Did she now?" Thomas said, as if he were talking to a child… which is what one kind of has to do to the snowman.

"Yeah! And I helped Anna and Kristoff and Sven on their big adventure to find her!" Olaf jabbered on. "Ooh, it was so much fun! I learned how to belly slide and climb stairs and there was this giant snow monster Elsa made that chased us—" Elsa cringed and closed her eyes. "—but it's okay because we still love her a lot! And Anna did so much to help and in the fjords there was this huge snow storm and—!"

"Olaf!" Elsa cut in softly. "Olaf, I think Thomas is very hungry. Do you think you can go help Gerda with the chores outside?"

She would often send the snowman on chores when he asked how he could help. The staff was surprisingly open to Olaf's assistance so it was nice Olaf had a place in the castle amongst everybody else.

"Okay, yeah, good idea!" he agreed, forgetting what he was talking about at once. "Bye, Thomas!" He waved his stick arm cheerfully and skipped out of the dining hall.

The pair got to their feet as the doors shut behind them. Thomas started to laugh as they made their way to the table.

"He was quite the snowman," he said to Elsa.

"He's an interesting one," Elsa agreed. She locked eyes with Anna. "You need to apologize."

"For what?" Anna said, exasperated. "I tried to fix him! He slipped and knocked me over and—"

"Not about Olaf," Elsa said. "About Thomas. When you and Rapunzel went sliding down the hall, the door hit Thomas in the face."

"He's got a habit of that, huh?" Anna teased. "Getting hit in the head."

Elsa rolled her eyes.

"But that was me," Rapunzel piped up. "I… I called the race… Sorry, Thomas."

"It's all right," Thomas assured. "Now, what's for supper? I'm starved."

Elsa took her seat at the head of the table and the others got into their usual spots. Thomas sat beside Kristoff, an empty plate placed in front of him, a bowl of soup as the first course on top of the plate. After he finished, that was cleared, his plate returned to being blank while dishes of all kinds were delivered to the table.

Anna dove in at once, piling potatoes on her plate and dinner rolls following. Everyone ignored her indulging and acted like it was normal, while Thomas was left stunned. How could someone as small as Anna eat so much? And how could there still be any food left after what the princess grabbed?

No matter, he followed everyone else's example and just served himself. It was a silent meal, the group simply enjoying their meal without a word. Rapunzel whispered something to Eugene and he shook his head while she giggled behind her hand. Then the conversations began to arise after that little white noise. Elsa began to talk to Anna about something Thomas wasn't quite paying attention to but he heard 'drapes' and 'library' from Anna. Kristoff was talking to Rapunzel and Eugene about life in Corona and what it was like, so Thomas was left alone.

He was used to this, however. Being the middle child in the family, he was always overlooked by the servants and his parents. They were always concerned with Peter's future and George— his younger brother— getting out of trouble. Thomas was expected to be just like Peter while taking care of George. It was stressful. And during dinners, he would sit in between his brother and pick at his food, the two yammering on and on over some ridiculous thing.

Suddenly, he was pulled out of his thoughts by a voice calling his name.

"Hey, Prince Thomas," Anna said. "You alive in there?"

"Hm? Oh, yes, I'm alive," he said, smirking slightly. "Sorry, lost in thought. What did you need?"

"I was wondering what England is like," Anna said genuinely. "I've always wanted to go out of the country but we haven't had the time…" She trailed off, sending a smile down his way. "So what's England like?"

"Um… wet," he said simply. "It rains a lot but it gets warmer in the summer… yes, very warm. It's actually nice to come to Arendelle during this time of year. The countryside is beautiful, though, with rolling hills and grass as far as the eye can see. My mother used to take me and my brothers out in our carriage and we'd have picnics." The smile that had been growing faded. "But with industries growing, we haven't had the chance to do it since I turned twelve." His eyes wandered over to Elsa, who didn't seem to be paying attention, sipping her tea delicately.

"That's so sad," Anna said sympathetically. "Arendelle isn't really big on industrial growth. Our farms are super far from the village and Elsa and I only went once. Right, Elsa?"

The queen quirked an eyebrow. "Hm?"

"We went to the farms all the way back there once with Mama and Papa?" Anna reminded her.

"Oh, yes, we did once," Elsa said with a small nod. "I was six and you were three. We went in the springtime and we picked out our own horses."

"That's right!" Anna got excited. "It was so much fun! Ooh, Elsa's pony was so cute. Coal black, which is weird considering she's a snowy kinda girl, with grey speckles on his muzzle. _I_ got the white one with a black mane… but I can't remember why I chose him."

Elsa paused and observed Anna carefully, as if she were a ticking time bomb. When Anna didn't press on further, Elsa's downcast eyes gazed back at her meal, her finger tapping gently on the tabletop.

* * *

"Sorry that dinner was more eventful than you must have expected," Elsa said.

She was walking with Thomas back to his ship, the two of them slowly striding down the stone path of the bridge. The sky was a pitch black with stars strewn across the galaxy above. The moon was waxing, almost reaching its halfway mark.

"No, I had fun," he said. "Your sister is… nice."

"She's a sweetheart, really, but she has a tendency to get off topic and say things she doesn't mean and well… she's Anna," Elsa said. "But she likes you. I can tell."

"I like her, too. She's a very interesting character, that one," Thomas said, chuckling. "How do you put up with her bursts of energy?"

Elsa responded with the most obvious answer she could come up with, "I love her."

Her sincerity blew Thomas away. Her smile was the biggest he's ever seen her wear, her eyes shining with affection. The bond the sisters shared was stronger than Thomas ever knew was possible. For years, he had struggled to maintain a bond with his brothers but it always fell apart once things got better.

What surprised him most was how the girls were so close after thirteen years of separation, like Elsa told him.

How did they do it?

They stopped at the edge of the bridge leading into the town square. The entire kingdom was in its sleepy haze, summer fog rolling in from the frozen mountains surrounding the area. The air was warm and slightly humid, irritating Elsa's cool skin. The ships were rocking and moaning in the fjords, the wooden builds creaking as water sloshed against them.

"England sounds beautiful," Elsa said quietly.

"You were listening to that?" Thomas asked.

"Of course I was," Elsa said, raising her eyebrows. "Why?"

"Nothing…" He smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "No reason, I just… never mind."

Elsa shivered slightly at his touch, trying to keep in her building blush. She could feel it creeping up her neck like spiderwebs. She averted her eyes from meeting his and stared at the ground, determined not to let her feelings show… she couldn't… couldn't possibly be in—

"Elsa," Thomas said, snapping her away from her thoughts.

"Yes?" she said, forcing herself to look up. She bore her icy orbs into his nose, acting like she was looking into his eyes.

"Tomorrow night… may I take you out?" he said.

"What?"

"May I take you out? On a small outing. Not like the one a while ago," he said. "But I've seen some of the people in England go out together and I've never tried it before. I'd like to try with you."

Elsa relaxed her nerves suddenly, without meaning to, and her blush shot up into her freckled cheeks. Shyly, she nodded and he beamed so suddenly it became contagious, leaping onto Elsa's face at once.

"Brilliant," he said. "I'll see you here tomorrow around… say six?"

"Sure."

Instead of taking her hand and kissing it, he bent down and kissed her cheek. Elsa stiffened and swallowed, but didn't protest. Thomas straightened with a blush, realizing what he had just done.

"Oh… so sorry, I—" he stammered, rubbing the back of his neck. "I hadn't meant to do that— well, I did but— no, wait, what?"

Elsa snorted into her hand, unable to keep herself from laughing. Why she was laughing, she had _no_ idea whatsoever but it felt nice to laugh. Like all her nervous energy was being released through her giggles.

Thomas was bewildered at her reaction, wondering if he had done something stupid.

Elsa sobered, and cleared her throat with embarrassment. Mustering all the courage she had, she stood on her tiptoes and returned the kiss on his cheek. She smiled and shrugged lightly, turning back to her castle without another word. Thomas felt his bewilderment recede and he smiled after her before going back into his castle.

* * *

The following afternoon, Anna was in the stables, cooing over her horse and feeding him carrots. The horse nuzzled her cheek affectionately and the princess giggled. He tried to pick at her dress and she batted him away gently.

"Hey, hey," Anna scolded. "What are you doing?"

The horse nickered expectantly and nibbled at her shoulder. Anna smirked and lifted his nose so she could look at him in the eyes. She moved her hand through his mane and hummed to herself. The horse whinnied and she laughed.

"Okay, okay!" she said, standing back. "I'm stalling, you caught me. Hold on, boy." She pulled out a lump of sugar she had been saving for him. "Here you go."

She held it out on her flat palm and let him enjoy the sweet, his whiskers tickling her skin. As she tended to him, the door to the stables opened and Kristoff walked inside, rope over his shoulders and his ice harvesting outfit on. Anna twisted her head to look at him and blinked, noting his attire.

He met her eyes and smiled warmly, but it vanished when he spotted the frown on her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Are you leaving?" she wondered, eying his outfit.

"In a while, yeah," he said apologetically. "Sven and I are heading out once I get him hitched up. I'm sorry but the kitchen is running out of ice and we need to stock up."

"No, it's okay," Anna said. "It's just… I'd like to go with you."

"Not a chance, fiestypants," Kristoff teased, patting her head as he passed her by, heading over to Sven. "I'm going to be gone for the entire day. Besides, it's work that requires attention and focus."

"I can do that!" she insisted, moving away from her horse. "I can be super focused! Like, really! I promise, Kristoff."

"No, it's not about that," he said. "_I_ need to focus. Having you around might distract me."

Anna's grin faltered and her shoulders slumped. "In… in a good way?"

"Not really," Kristoff said. "I mean, you get so out of hand sometimes…" He heard himself and sighed. "No... yes… wait— Anna, what I mean is—"

"I get it," Anna said, fighting tears. "I'll just screw things up like I always do."

"Anna, wait!"

But she had turned abruptly and rushed out of the stables. Sven nipped at Kristoff's sleeve and snorted, his brow furrowing. Kristoff groaned and got the message: 'great job… _not_.' The mountain man left his supplies inside and ran after Anna. She was quickly making her way back to the castle. Kristoff reached her and touched her shoulder, gaining her attention. Anna turned and glared at him, hot tears just barely escaping.

"I'm sorry, Anna," Kristoff said. "I didn't mean that."

"I can handle myself just fine," Anna reminded him.

He smiled fondly and wiped her tears away. "I know you can but I can't risk you getting hurt… Elsa would kill me."

Anna let out a giggle and hugged him close, enjoying his presence for a while before he left to the mountains with the other ice harvesters. He dipped down and kissed her, Anna pressing harder against his lips. When he pulled away, he kissed her forehead and dropped their embrace.

"I really would like to take you with me," he admitted. "But since summer is at its peak, the ice can melt easier and… _I_ wouldn't want anything to happen to you."

"I understand, Kristoff," she said. "I'm sorry I got so upset."

She giggled guiltily and he smiled broadly.

"I'll see you when I get back," he promised.

"Okay," Anna nodded, her eyes lowering to the floor with sorrow.

She was biting back saying three little words, in risk of jeopardizing their relationship. Kristoff said something but it didn't register with her and sounded like mush in her mind. She blinked and cocked her head to the side.

"What? I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention," she admitted.

He chuckled and repeated himself. "I love you, Anna."

Anna stared and her mouth slowly opened, little by little, stunned. Then she erupted into a grin and threw herself and him, wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug and spinning him around with momentum, tears of joy escaping this time. She kissed him hard and laughed.

"Really? You really, really do?" she gasped, almost daring to believe it.

He laughed, too, loving her reaction. "Of course I do."

"Kristoff, I love you, too!" she squealed. "I… I love you so much."

He set her down on her feet. They kissed again, the awkwardness from their new relationship fading.

Anna had shared her true love's first kiss with him but… she was so happy she _knew_ it was true love.

When they parted the kiss, Kristoff sighed. "Uh… I should go… I mean, I wanna stay but—"

"I know, I know," she said, still grinning.

"I just thought you should know before I left," he said. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Be safe," she said.

"As always," he replied, kissing her quickly before heading back to Sven.

Anna was walking on air as she entered the castle, her cheeks flushed and her being radiating warmth all over. She skipped around the halls, looking for her sister or her cousin or Olaf or _somebody_ because she desperately wanted to tell someone of this magical event. She passed by Elsa's study and came to a halt, back tracking until she faced the door again. She knocked hard and waited for a response.

"Who is it?" came Elsa's voice.

"Do you wanna build a snowman!?" Anna sang.

Silence and Anna's stomach dropped. Was Elsa going to reject her like she used to do behind this very same door? No… she couldn't. She _promised_ she wouldn't. But she wasn't coming out...

Anna was about to walk away until the door opened and Elsa appeared over the threshold. Her fingers were stained with ink and eyes looked tired, strained, like she had been working hard on documents in there. Elsa's face was relieved, however, when she gazed Anna.

"Yes, _please_, get me out of here," Elsa said.

Anna laughed and grabbed Elsa's hands, dragging her outside. She persuaded Elsa to make it snow outside this time and the queen obliged. She swirled a huge pact of snow in her hands and launched it upwards, where it exploded and began to rain down upon the sisters. Elsa made the courtyard a winter wonderland and stomped her foot hard on the ground, ice spreading across the area to form a rink.

Townspeople noticed the falling snow coming from the castle and children ran towards the fortress, ignoring their parents' calls. Some adults entered the open gates and the royals welcomed everyone inside. Elsa and Anna rolled snow together, giggling all the while, and built a snowman. Rapunzel and Eugene came out of the castle. The princess was filled to the brim in her usual wonder while her husband gawked up at the snow. She grabbed his hand and took him over to the sisters as they made their masterpiece.

Anna invited them to a snowball fight and soon engaged the entire courtyard in a full-on snowball _war_. Elsa was on her own team because her firepower was far stronger than anyone else's. Anna, however, didn't want her sister to fight alone so she slammed her back against Elsa's, snowball at the ready.

"We'll take 'em all down!" she cried. "Give 'em all you got, Elsa!"

"That might be dangerous," Elsa smirked.

"Then a very small and safe but awesome amount of what you got!" Anna exclaimed.

"You're in a good mood," Elsa noted as they ran for cover, a group of kids attacking them with snowballs. "I'd thought you'd be upset because Kristoff had to go harvest ice."

"I was but…" Anna giggled and ran faster than Elsa. She skidded to a stop behind a fort Elsa built, the queen joining her, out of breath.

"Kristoff said it, Elsa! He said it!" Anna shrilled.

"Said what?" Elsa said, forming a snowball and tossing it at Rapunzel. It hit her in the shoulder and Elsa laughed. She gasped and ducked as a counter snowball soared over her head.

"He said he loves me, Elsa," Anna said. "He finally told me."

Time seemed to freeze around them and it was just the two sisters. Elsa's shocked expression split into a grin and she embraced Anna tightly.

"That's wonderful!" Elsa said.

"Isn't it?" Anna said.

They pulled away and Elsa cupped Anna's cheek with her hand, smiling adoringly.

"Oh, Anna… I knew he was going to come around," she said.

Anna blinked away more tears of joy. Breaking the moment, a snowball collided with her head and Elsa gasped. Anna rubbed her smarting temple and heard a laugh coming from the other side of the fort. The sisters peeked over and saw Eugene and Rapunzel across the courtyard, beaming with success.

"You didn't just hit my sister!" Elsa shouted teasingly, pointing an accusing finger at them.

"You broke my head!" Anna yelled. "I'm bleeding profusely."

"It's all over the place!" Elsa added.

They exchanged ridiculous looks and burst out laughing, feeling like kids again. Then a snowball hit Elsa's forehead. The girls whipped their heads back at the couple across the yard, glowering playfully.

"This means war!" Anna roared, leaping over the fort and collecting snow in her hand. "Full on attack!"

But the poor princess barely made it, for kids began to tackle her with their own line of fire, protecting the couple of Corona. Anna yelped and ran back to Elsa, who was having a hard time breathing, she was laughing so hard.

"Elsa, you need to help meeeeeeee!" Anna whined as she sat back beside her sister. She griped Elsa's arm and shook it hard. "I'm gonna die out there."

"Not likely," Elsa said. "Ready?"

"For what?"

"Just watch."

Elsa rose from the fort and Anna poked her head over it, so she could see what Elsa was going to do. The queen spread her arms and cleared her throat loudly. Kids and teenagers looked her way to see her out in the open. Without thinking, they threw their snowballs at her but the slush stopped in mid-air, never reaching the queen. Everyone gasped and Anna grinned. Elsa smirked and moved her hands forward and thrust them over to Rapunzel and Eugene's fort, bombarding them with snowballs. They were screaming and laughing at the same time, covering their heads from the fire.

A group of kids jumped in front of their fort and began to return fire on Elsa. So surprised by their fearless counter attack, she dropped the snow and ducked with Anna behind the fort.

"How are we gonna win this one?" Anna asked.

"I… I can't beat little kids in a game," Elsa said.

"Surrender?" Anna suggested.

"Not a chance," Elsa said, peeking over the fort.

"All _I_ wanted to do was build a snowman," Anna complained with a huff.

"_You_ were the one who challenged Rapunzel to a snowball fight," Elsa reminded her.

Anna grunted. "Yeah…"

"Okay… the plan… we go around into the garden and take Rapunzel and Eugene as hostages," Elsa began. "Then maybe we can negotiate."

"Unless someone takes you guys as hostages," said a voice behind them.

They turned to find Rapunzel and Eugene standing over them, smirking. The sisters blinked and glanced at one another before vaulting themselves over the fort and running into the courtyard, trying to avoid their captors.

In the end, they were captured by a group of kids who wouldn't let them go until they surrendered. Seeing how late it was getting, Elsa agreed and the game ended. As the citizens went home, Rapunzel and Eugene inside the castle, Elsa rid the courtyard of the snow and brushed herself off.

* * *

After dinner was done, Elsa and Anna left into the foyer of the castle and the queen drew her breath in, reminding herself that Thomas was waiting for her.

"I should be heading out," Elsa said. "I'm meeting someone tonight."

Anna perked up. "You mean Thomas!?"

"Yes, I mean Thomas," Elsa said, almost reluctant to tell her sister.

"Ooh, are you guys going on a date!?" Anna squealed.

"An _outing_," Elsa answered.

"Same thing."

"Whatever! I won't be back until late so… tell Kai that, okay?"

"Sure. Anything else?"

Elsa heard the obedient tone and she smiled at her sister. She kissed Anna's forehead and shook her head.

"Nothing else. Have fun with Rapunzel tonight."

"I will," Anna said. "You have fun with Thomas!"

Without hearing her response, Anna bounded back up the stairs, singing to herself. Elsa took in a deep breath and walked out of the castle and towards the bridge's edge. Waiting for her was Thomas, talking to a couple of kids who had yet to go home. He noticed Elsa out of the corner of his eye and bid the children goodbye, who then rushed off to meet back with their parents.

"Shall we go?" he asked.

"Where were you planning on taking me exactly?" Elsa said. "The queen going out for a night on the town isn't exactly a normal thing around here."

"Well, I was thinking we could get something sweet to eat," he suggested. "There's a chocolate shop that's still open…"

Elsa's face lit up at the mention of chocolate. She let Thomas lead her to the shop, his hand taking hers. She really worried that someone would notice and start a rumor but she was so content with him holding some part of her. So she didn't say anything.

They entered the shop and the shopkeeper welcomed them with a bow.

"Queen Elsa," she said. "It's an honor to have you in the shop."

"Thank you," Elsa said, nodding her head respectfully.

Thomas let go of Elsa's hand and started to move around the store. Elsa was a little disappointed but she didn't show it. She followed him around the store, her eyes hungrily observing the chocolate items. She licked her lips against her will when she spotted a chocolate bar with the Arendelle crest stamped in the middle.

"How much for one of those?" Elsa asked the shopkeeper, indicating the chocolate.

"Oh, that one is a local brand," the shopkeeper said, standing beside the queen. "So it's much cheaper than the others."

Thomas plucked a couple from the shelf and smiled kindly at the shopkeeper.

"We'll take two," he said. "On me."

"Yes, your Highness," the shopkeeper bowed, striding to the counter. Thomas handed her some coins, thanking her, and walked outside with Elsa.

Elsa bit into the chocolate and hummed, enjoying the sweet taste of the candy. Of course, she preferred dark over milk but she didn't mind milk every once in a while. The pair of them kept strolling around the kingdom until they reached the limits. But Thomas didn't stop going. He hiked up the grassy hills but Elsa hesitated. The last time she walked up these hills was when she ran away from Arendelle.

Thomas noticed she was no longer at his side and turned, his face etched with expectation.

"You coming, your Majesty?" he said, his voice hinting just a bit of teasing.

She met his eyes and saw him grinning from ear to ear. He extended his hand and she took it, letting herself be pulled up the hill. They sat down and looked over Arendelle, watching as lights began to fade from the houses as families went to sleep. Elsa felt a bubble of affection for her kingdom rise in her chest and she drew her knees up to her chest, watching the dying activity.

Her eyes wandered over to the castle. A few lights were still on, showing that some of the staff, or possibly even Anna and Rapunzel, were still awake.

"So, Elsa," Thomas said casually.

"So, Thomas," she countered, glancing at him. "You used to take picnics in the country?"

"All the time," he nodded. "My mother was such an amazing woman. I loved her to bits… and she always made sure to give me some affection." He sighed. "As the middle child, I'm often overlooked. I lived in Peter's shadow since day one, everyone expecting me to be just like him. But Mum… Mum loved us all equally and let me be my own person."

Elsa couldn't help but notice the past-tense reference of his mother. She held her tongue and let him speak.

"But she passed away a few years ago," he said heavily. "It's been harder ever since."

"I'm sorry," Elsa said softly.

She knew exactly what he had gone through… losing her parents had been hard on her. She would sit by her door daily and hear Anna weeping in her room down the hallway. Elsa had wanted to claw her way out of her room to join Anna and cry with her but she couldn't risk it.

"It's fine…" His voice cracked but he ignored it. He perked up and changed the subject. "Did you know that I'm a whiz at swordplay?"

Elsa giggled. "Really?"

"Oh, yes! I'm incredibly fast, much faster than Peter. He's never been very good at it, actually," he said, grinning. "People started rumors that I beheaded a dragon… but that's not true." Elsa let out a small laugh. "I wish it was, though. Then I'd have more to brag about."

"I like to sketch," Elsa confessed. "My father taught me when I was little how to draw people's faces. I would spend hours watching the servants and draw their expressions. When I was in isolation, I constantly drew to keep my mind at ease."

"I'd love to see one of your drawings one day," he said.

"Maybe one day. The other afternoon, Rapunzel and I drew Anna together. We had a lot of fun putting her in different poses. And Anna was having a blast, giving us the _greatest_ facial expressions to draw."

"Yeah, about your sister. How do you two have such a close relationship after all that time?"

Elsa gazed at him questioningly. "How do you mean?"

"I mean… you seemed to be so close," he pressed. "Even after all those years… you look like you've been together forever."

She smiled. "I have no idea. It must be Anna's enthusiasm. To be honest, I'm surprised at myself." Then she frowned. "But I'm terrified of hurting her again." The grass around them began to gain a little coat of frost, the warm breeze becoming chilled. "I could never live with myself if she were to…" She shuddered and hugged her arms close to her chest, trying to thaw the ice around her but it was creeping fast. "Sometimes, when she sneaks in my bed at night, I listen to her heartbeat and I'm relieved that it still can function."

Thomas noticed the ice crawling over the grass and he placed an assuring hand on her shoulder. Elsa tensed for a moment but relaxed into his tiny touch, the breeze becoming warm again and the ice fading away.

"Sorry about that," Elsa said, getting to her feet. "We should head back."

"Now?" Thomas said, sounding disappointed.

"I need to sign a few things before bed," she said. "Including your document. Kai and I agreed to sign the paper work."

"Really?" he said, his eyebrows shooting up as they walked down the hill. "Are you sure?"

"He thinks it's a good replacement for Weselton," Elsa said.

"Thank you… my father will be pleased," Thomas said.

They reached the city and strode in a comfortable silence back to the castle. They reached the gates and Elsa faced him before she entered the courtyard.

"Thanks, Thomas. I had a lovely evening," she said.

"Me too," he said.

They stared at each other awkwardly before Thomas cleared his throat and spoke up.

"So… uh," he said. "Elsa… would you mind if… if I kissed you right now?"

Against her will, a blush rushed into her face and she gulped a little, unsure of how to respond to the question. Thomas saw how befuddled she looked and decided to be bold for once. No more asking, no more nothing. He took her chin between his forefinger and thumb and lifted it slightly. He bent down and kissed her softly.

Elsa's first kiss.

She widened her eyes, her body tense. How was she supposed to react to this!? Two seconds passed before it crossed her mind: _close your eyes, stupid!_ And she did, leaning forward a bit to respond.

He pulled away first, leaving her with her eyes closed. It registered that he left her lips and she opened her eyes. He smiled at her and Elsa smiled back.

"Good night, Elsa," he said.

"Good night, Thomas," she replied.

* * *

As Elsa made her way to her bedroom, Anna was exiting her little workshop a little ways in front of her, ink on her hands and her nose. Elsa cleared her throat and Anna looked up from brushing some dust off her dress. Anna grinned and skipped over to Elsa. They looped arms and started to head down the hall together towards their bedroom.

"Hi!" Anna said. "How was your date?"

"It wasn't—"

"It _was_ a date," Anna said. "Did you have fun?"

Elsa sighed, knowing there was no way Anna would let it go. "Yes, I had a nice time."

Anna observed Elsa's face carefully and then her eyes widened. Elsa's eyes narrowed, wondering what Anna was gaping at.

"He kissed you, didn't he!?" Anna hissed.

"N-no!" Elsa spluttered, her cheeks flushing.

"Don't you lie to me," Anna scolded sarcastically, sticking her finger in Elsa's face.

"I'm not lying," Elsa insisted.

"You are so lying," Anna groaned, shaking her head.

"_Fine_. He kissed me."

Anna cried out in excitement.

"I knew it! It's true lo-"

"No, it's not," Elsa said forcefully.

"Oh come _on_, Elsa!" Anna exclaimed. "Just admit it!"

Anna:  
_When he smiles at you,  
__You blush_

"Anna," Elsa warned. "Stop it."

Anna:  
_Even if you don't show it  
__It's obvious that he cares for you  
__Even if you don't see it_

They turned a corner as Anna kept singing. She pinched Elsa's cheeks and teased her relentlessly. Elsa's eyes darted around for help, praying someone would rescue her from her romantic sister.

Anna:

_So, use your brain and  
__It's clear to see  
__The only solution to the mystery  
__It must be true lo—_

Elsa thought fast. She noticed a long hallway she and Anna rode their bike around, and interrupted her.

Elsa:

_Look over here!  
__An old hallway  
__One where we used to play  
__Everyday  
__Before I closed the door  
__And shut you out_

She took Anna's hands and faced her, trying to distract her from the Thomas discussion.

Elsa:

_But everything's changed now  
__Together again  
__I love you, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven  
__And no one can ever stand in our way._

"I agree," Anna said with a nod but she caught on to what Elsa was trying to do.

Anna:

_Love is a great thing,  
__And should be shared  
__Don't be afraid to show it  
__Especially with people from far away_

Anna pulled Elsa into the portrait room and began to dance around with her, twirling Elsa under her arm against her will and giggling.

Anna:

_With cute accents and cultures  
__You'll never know when you find this guy  
__But I've got a feeling_

She stopped the dancing and stared into a winded Elsa's eyes. "And don't lie," Anna pressed.

Anna:

_That your guy…  
__Is right in front of y—_

Elsa caught sight of a picture of a mermaid at the top of the room and another memory was triggered. Hopelessly, she tried to distract Anna again.

Elsa:

_You remember that time when we,  
__Dressed up as mermaids from the sea  
__Tried to dye our hair and make it red  
__And how Mama got mad and sent us to bed?_

Anna laughed and Elsa felt some form of success flow through her veins. Ice of nerves and embarrassment that had been creeping around the room melted away and Elsa got carried away in memories.

Elsa:

_Or that time we refused to speak  
__In anything but—_

"English accents?" Anna supplied.

Elsa's victorious moment was sapped away from her as Anna grinned knowingly.

"Yes, I remember," Anna said, putting on a British accent herself.

Anna:

_The English people are the best  
__Handsome and friendly,  
__Stand out from the rest  
__But I'm pretty sure  
__You've noticed that already._

Tired of this, Elsa began to sing over Anna but the little sister never faltered. They sang in perfect harmony, trying to win the battle of truth.

Anna | Elsa:

_Of course, I'm talking about Thomas | I know you're talking about Thomas  
__He's the one for you | I've thought about it_

As Elsa sang, wind began to pick up in the room. Anna gripped her hands tightly and tried to calm her.

Anna | Elsa:

_I swear, I promise | I swear, I promise  
__Just let your heart | But the truth is  
__Take that leap of faith… | I think I'm too afraid…_

Both:

_To fall in love!_

It suddenly grew silent and the winds died down, Elsa breathing hard and trying to regain her sanity. Anna heard what Elsa said, her heart hammering in her chest. They stared at one another. Anna couldn't believe her ears. All she could stammer out was—

"…What?"

* * *

**OH MY. We got some love drama going on for Elsa. D: Oh no, it's okay! Really, Anna will come up with something, as she always does.**

**Thanks again to BellePheonix for your wonderful song! It fit perfectly with the scenario and I can't wait to see more from other readers!**

**And… aw, Elsa and Thomas finally kissed. But Elsa is afraid to love him? Ugh, make up your mind, Elsa.**

**See you next time!**


	7. Chapter 7: Couple's Picnic

**Boo!**

**Did I scare you? I hope not.**

**Hello, guys! I am back for another chapter of **_**Coping**_**. I'm also back in school which means I don't have as much time to write anymore. Senior year sucks, guys.**

**Now for those of you who are like, "whoa Thomas and Elsa, slow down guys way too fast" relax! I will explain everything in this chapter within the characters 'cause Elsa agrees with you!**

**SPEAKING OF THOMAS! I drew a picture of said prince of England and if you guys want, I will upload it onto my Tumblr page (athpluver). Once that's there… who knows! But let me know if you want to see how he looks!**

**There is a song used in this chapter. Written by princess-disney called "Call On Me." It's a lullaby that their mother used to sing to them and now they sing it again to each other.**

**Disclaimer: Disney owns FROZEN and princess-disney owns "Call On Me."**

* * *

Her eyes were practically bulging out of her head as she stared at Elsa with disbelief. The queen was biting her lip and tugging at her braid, not looking into Anna's eyes. Did she really just say what Anna thought she said? Too afraid… to fall in love? How can you be afraid of love!?

Well… no, she can see why but _what?_

And the way Elsa belted it, it was like she was trying to tell herself that more than Anna. Her words were desperate and nervous that Anna was so shocked that Elsa could _be_ that way.

"Afraid?" Anna whispered. "Of love? Of Thomas?"

"I'm not afraid of Thomas," Elsa replied, squeezing her eyes shut. "I'm afraid of what I might _do_ to Thomas. I can still hurt him…"

"But you've gained control. You know what can thaw anything frozen. Love is the answer," Anna reminded her, placing her warm hand on Elsa's cold cheek. "And, maybe through Thomas—"

"Anna, I'm not in love with Thomas," Elsa snapped. "Everything is just so confusing right now. He kissed me. So what? It was a nice first kiss but that doesn't mean anything!" Her eyes popped open and she finally looked into Anna's. "I can't possibly fall in love with someone I've known for a week."

"It's not _im_possible," Anna tried with a weak smile. "You like him right? You've thought about it…"

Elsa dropped her gaze and stared at the ground. Yes, she thought about what it would be like if she and Thomas were to have a future. They were nice things to dwell on but Elsa knew they were only back minded fantasies; something Anna would dream up. It was terribly distracting since she had work to do. But when boredom overcame her, her mind tended to drift off, which wasn't too often, but it happens to everyone.

"I need time to think," Elsa said finally. "I need time to actually _know_ him and what he's like. Two outings? That's hardly a friendship."

Anna continued to stare, her romantic side fighting her practical side. She knew Elsa was absolutely right. And Elsa barely had any human contact until six weeks ago when she emerged from her room and caused the Eternal Winter. Suddenly having a romantic relationship being thrown at you must be scary. Anna was so open to one, falling for Hans at once, although that was a naive and childish love, was a perfect example of how different they were. Kristoff wasn't like Hans and the feelings were mutual between them so Anna was perfectly content with her new relationship. Meanwhile, Elsa was still having trouble giving hugs to Anna… to think how terrifying that kiss must have been for her…

"Look… maybe we should all do something together," Anna suggested. "Like, when Kristoff comes back, we can go on a picnic with Thomas. Rapunzel and Eugene can join us. So a triple-date kinda thing. _And_ it will remind Thomas of the picnics he went on with his mom. It's perfect!"

Elsa smiled at Anna's optimism and decided to give it a shot. After all, if she ever wanted one of her fantasies to happen someday, the least she could to was get closer to Thomas. Maybe she might even fall for him.

_Whoa, Elsa_, she thought. _Slow down._

The big question was how she could tell him that she wasn't interested in such a quick relationship. The next time he saw her, he was bound to try and kiss her again. Elsa wanted to ask Anna her opinion but decided against it, knowing Anna would probably blurt out she should enjoy the kisses while she could.

* * *

She decided to take on Anna's offer of a big day out. She would go on a weekend so Kai would be able to take care of the small things Elsa had to do. Before she went out, however, she called both Kai and Anna into her study and laid out the document that Thomas had given her a while ago.

"We should sign," Elsa decided. "Before our trades go down from the loss of Weselton. England is our only hope at the moment and we need them on our side. I informed Thomas we were ready to sign last I saw him."

"Yes, your Majesty," Kai bowed his head and picking up the quill.

Anna raised her hand halfway. "Question."

"Yes, Anna?" Elsa said.

"Why am I here?"

"Because you're the princess of Arendelle," Elsa said.

"But you never had me in here to sign anything," Anna pointed out.

She hesitated as Kai handed her the quill.

"They ask for both rulers to sign," Elsa said, tapping the bottom of the long paper. "And the current royal advisor. As the princess, you should sign."

Anna took the quill from Kai and bent down, scrawling her signature along the bottom of the page. It was messy cursive and she dotted the 'i' in 'princess' with a heart. She smiled with satisfaction and turned the paper towards Elsa so she could sign last. Opposite of Anna's handwriting, Elsa's was long and flowing, the tip of the quill gliding along the parchment. In the middle of the 'q' in 'queen' she quickly sketched a tiny snowflake and Anna giggled at it. When the ink dried, Kai rolled the document up and tied it with the blue ribbon of the royals.

"How would you like the message to be delivered, your Majesty?" he asked.

"Send for Prince Thomas," Elsa said. "I need to speak with him about a few things anyway."

Kai bowed and gave her the document before walking out to fetch the prince. Anna raised her eyebrows at Elsa.

"What are you gonna tell Thomas?" she said.

"I just need to talk to him… that's all," Elsa said, sounding more like she was telling herself that than Anna. "I'd like to be alone with him, if you don't mind."

Anna nodded with understanding and left the room. She wandered down the halls and strode to the main entrance. She entered the courtyard, hoping to enjoy some summer sun before she would go back inside and write a little. She skipped to the back of the castle towards the gardens to visit with Olaf but she heard a familiar voice call steady its driver.

"Whoa, Sven," she heard. "Easy, buddy we're here."

Anna spun on her heels and ran back into the middle of the courtyard. Coming off of his sled, sweating underneath the heavy Ice Harvesting clothes was Kristoff. He patted Sven and grinned. Some ice was on his sled, ready to keep the kitchens and the rest of the kingdom cool. She felt her heart pounding in her chest, excitement building up from seeing her love standing a few feet away from her.

She bellowed his name.

Kristoff turned just in time as she engulfed him into a powerful hug, kissing his face lovingly. She finally captured his lips in hers and they swung on the spot. He set her down after a few minutes to catch their breath. They grinned at each other and Anna hung on his arm, walking with him to the back kitchen entrance.

"You're home," she whispered. "Finally, finally home."

"I've only been gone for two days," he said.

"It feels like forever," she said.

He chuckled. "I missed you."

"I missed you more," Anna argued playfully.

They reached the kitchens and Kristoff helped them load the ice into the boxes to keep certain foods fresh. Kristoff then had to make a run to his shop and store his ice to sell the next day. Anna accompanied him, asking him about his trip and if he and Sven ran into any trouble.

Meanwhile, Thomas had arrived at the castle. Elsa heard someone knock on her door and she allowed entry. She was facing the window, glancing out into the kingdom, her eyes lidded with sleepiness… she was thinking of taking a nap before dinner if she could. She heard him clear his throat and she turned her head.

"Hello," she said.

"Hi," he breathed.

He strode over to her and they faced one another. He smiled and tried to kiss her but she leaned her head away, biting her lip. Thomas froze and pulled back, blinking with puzzlement. Elsa sighed and hugged her arms close to her chest, not looking at him.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Thomas… I really like you, I do… but I don't think we should even begin some kind of relationship until we know one another on a personal level," she told him. "I like what we have." She met his eyes. "And I would love to see where the future takes us but I need to think. I'm sorry."

He blinked again and then nodded slowly.

"All right… I understand," he said. "Sorry, I guess I came on a little too strong."

"No, no, it's okay," Elsa said, giving him a guilty smile. "But, I know we can get along… uh, Anna planned a picnic this weekend in the meadow… if you're feeling up for it, I mean, you can come with us." She found herself getting incredibly nervous and she was stammering a little. "She thought, since you used to go on picnics with your mother, you can join us and it would be a nice way for _us_ to spend more time together."

Thomas grinned. "That sounds perfect."

"Really?"

"Sure! I'd love to spend some time with you again. And Anna and everyone else of course. If I'm to know you, I should know them, too."

"Wonderful… we're leaving around eleven tomorrow," Elsa said, her shuddering skin calming down.

"I'll be there," he said, turning to leave.

"Wait— one more thing…"

She went to the desk and handed him the document. He took it from her and she smiled.

"Signed by Kai, Anna, and I," Elsa said. "As soon as England is ready, we'll begin the trading process."

"Brilliant. I'll let my brother know when I have the chance," he said, bowing his head. "See you tomorrow, Elsa."

She waved at him as he left and let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding out. The door shut behind him with a _snap_ and Elsa sunk into her seat. She relaxed into the plush and let some ice creep around the legs and arms of the chair…

Maybe, she thought, she could finally get the throne room done. Make it similar to her Ice Palace still waiting her return on the North Mountain. It would be a nice change amongst the stuffy rooms and some of the staff. The old design reminded her too much of the old ways, how the gates were shut tight behind Anna, preventing her from exploring the world, the door locked behind Elsa and separating her from her sister, and how her parents had kept so many secrets from both Elsa and Anna…

She made a small note to remind herself to put in word to the royal decorator when she felt well rested. Elsa closed her eyes for a brief moment, hoping she would slip away into a peaceful slumber right there, but heard laughter coming from outside. She opened one eye and her ears tuned in a little more.

Anna's laughter… and then Kristoff's… then Olaf. So the trio was goofing off in the garden again?

Elsa smiled plainly and closed her eyes, her chin drooping to her shoulder and letting her head hang lazily. She listened to the musical tone of Anna's giggle floating from outdoors. It was such a heartwarming laugh that Elsa was able to nap with a growing smile.

* * *

Elsa woke up an hour and a half later. She wasn't as well rested as she hoped she would have been but she was glad she got a little bit of shut eye. Her eyes had been so tired lately from staring at illegible writings from foreign dignitaries and requests from her villagers. Sometimes she would glance over a document and not recognize the language it was written in, the words blending together. She would have to switch her brain to French or Spanish so she could register what it was.

Dinner was two hours away so she had some time to herself. She sat up straight in her seat and scooted closer to the desks. She shuffled through a few papers until she found a note on her desk that hadn't been there earlier. She picked it up and her eyes glanced it over, a small smile blessing her features. In Anna's handwriting, was a note to her:

_Elsa!_

_I came in but you were sound asleep so I didn't wanna wake you up. You're so cute when you sleep. I just wanted to let you know that I'm gonna miss dinner. Kristoff and I are going out tonight but I'll be home before bed, I promise. I'm not _that_ kinda girl! Haha!_

_By the way, I need to talk to you about the drapes in the library. They're really starting to bug me… I'll talk to Gerda about it, too._

_I love you—_

_Anna_

Concealing a giggle behind her hand, Elsa folded up the note and put it back on her desk. She got to her feet and cracked her back, sighing in relief. Elsa left her study and started her way down the corridors. Someone called her name and she turned, seeing Rapunzel skipping over to her. She stepped in stride with her cousin and they shared identical smiles.

"How are you enjoying your stay?" Elsa asked.

"I'm loving it here!" Rapunzel sang. "And Eugene is glad it's not snowing anymore."

Elsa laughed. "I think the rest of Arendelle is right along with him."

"He threw such a temper tantrum when the blizzard hit," Rapunzel giggled. "So dramatic, too—" She cleared her throat and put on a gruffer voice to mimic her husband's. "'This is the story of how I froze to death!' He's such a drama queen… but I love him."

"I'm glad he's happy, too," Elsa said. "For the most part."

"Oh, he's enjoying it. He just doesn't wanna admit it."

"How long are you two here for?"

Rapunzel's face fell. "Another week… I have a friend I'm visiting in Scotland before I head back home. She's really really sweet and I _love_ her hair. It's so _frizzy_." Rapunzel put her hands to her head and then expanded them, nearly hitting Elsa in the face. "Oops, sorry. But I think we should all get together sometime. She's around Anna's age and will be at my birthday next year."

"I'm looking forward to meeting her," Elsa said as they made a turn into the library. "Anna and I will definitely come to your birthday. We owe it to you after you put up with my powers for a couple of days."

"Oh, you don't owe us anything!" Rapunzel waved her off. "Accidents happen."

"Pretty big accident," Elsa muttered.

"Big or small, it's not like you wanted it to happen," Rapunzel pointed out.

Elsa turned on the gas lights that were in the room and Rapunzel drifted over to a chess set, her eyes skimming over the game-in-progress. White had hardly moved, while black was all over the place. Somehow, white looked as if it was about to win and black seemed like it didn't know what it was doing.

"Who's game is this?" Rapunzel asked critically, prodding the black king with a smirk.

"Mine and Anna's," Elsa replied, standing beside her. "She doesn't know how to play but she insisted on doing so. I kept moving in small ways to give her a chance in winning but…" She gestured hopelessly to the board. "_I'm_ winning."

"Will she get mad if we move the pieces and start a new game?"

"Frankly, I think Anna completely forgot we were playing."

"Great!"

Rapunzel sat in the black side seat and returned the pieces back to their original place. Elsa sat in the white side and pushed the few pawns and the bishop she had moved. Elsa went first and then they began.

Their game was longer than they expected it to be. Elsa ended up calling dinner to them so they could continue their battle. Both of them were skilled in the game so they were having difficulties outsmarting one another. Eugene came in two hours into the game and found them hunched over the board, gazing intently at their pieces. Intrigued, he pulled up a chair and sat beside his wife, watching their progress.

Elsa had Rapunzel's queen trapped and was smirking heavily, not able to hold it back. But Rapunzel had one of her pawns close to Elsa's side so she had a chance to transform it into a queen and still be okay. Rapunzel moved her queen with a knowing smile and Elsa took the bait, knocking it away with her rook. Quickly, Rapunzel moved her pawn and it became a queen, Elsa catching onto her plan with a small grimace.

"Oh, I see," she mumbled.

She clashed eyes with Rapunzel and the princess raised her eyebrows, as if to say 'what are you gonna do about it now?'

Elsa's hand hovered over the board, her other hand cupping her chin, deep in thought. Then she moved her knight and Rapunzel gasped.

"Check," Elsa whispered.

"Ooh, you're good," Rapunzel grumbled.

There was a short knock and Anna entered, smiling brightly and her face flushed.

"There you are— ugh, the _drapes_— oh, hey, Punzie!" Anna chimed.

"Hold on, Anna," Eugene grinned at her. "These two are really into the game."

"Game? Oh, you guys are playing chess," Anna said, sitting beside Elsa and observing the board. "Yeah, I hate chess. I never got it."

Rapunzel moved and then Elsa moved but Anna didn't understand what they had just done. Rapunzel moved again and said, 'check' and Elsa growled under her breath. Elsa moved again and Rapunzel jumped up, laughing in victory, slamming her knight in front of her king.

"Check mate!" she shouted.

Elsa snarled and pointed her finger at the board, a blast of snow scattering the pieces around the room. Anna started to laugh with Rapunzel and Elsa smiled at herself, realizing her temper got a little out of control. She hunted around for the pieces and collected them, with the help of Eugene, and set them back up. The four of them left, all of them poking fun at Elsa's reaction.

* * *

"So how was your night with Kristoff?" Elsa asked, brushing Anna's hair gently.

"Pretty nice," Anna said dreamily. "We had dinner, went on a walk, and he told me how much he loved me." She sighed and gazed at Elsa through the mirror. "Love is really an amazing thing, Elsa… I really think he's the one for me."

"I can't see anyone else with you," Elsa said, working out a kink. "He cares for you a lot and I think what you two have is wonderful— stop moving your head, chin up— and I'm so glad you're happy with him."

"Oh, Elsa… I wish you and Thomas could be like us," Anna said wistfully. "I know you're still getting used to— _ow!_ Don't rip my hair out."

"Sorry," Elsa said. "This knot is really tough. Here—" She handed Anna the brush and started to pick at it with her nails instead. "Go on."

"Never mind," Anna said. "You'll just get annoyed with my love advice."

Elsa smiled and finally untangled the knot. She took the brush and went on with brushing it, the teeth combing through Anna's strawberry blond hair. They shared a moment of silence, the night growing outside and telling them it was almost time to sleep.

Anna shut her eyes, loving the feeling of Elsa playing with her hair. Elsa would always braid her when they were little, putting it in double braids, pigtails, one braid to match her own, and doing it up in different ways. She didn't know why but Elsa was always so fond of Anna's hair. It was silky, smooth, and fun to play with. So she had no protests when Anna asked if she could braid it tonight.

After a few minutes of their comfortable silence, Elsa began to hum to herself, a familiar tune that Anna knew. She opened her eyes and glanced at Elsa through the mirror again.

The queen met her eyes and winked lovingly before returning her attention to her hair again. Anna hummed the tune back and they started to smile wider. Elsa sang softly, sitting behind Anna so she could braid her hair for the night.

Elsa:

_You know that I'm here.  
__Through the summer and winter year._

She hummed a bit while Anna responded.

Anna:

_The frozen lakes and singing birds call to you.  
__Answer, answer they plead._

Taking one bunch of Anna's hair, Elsa began to weave it together. They sang as one, old memories of their mother putting them to bed filling their minds' eyes.

Both:

_When the frost bite gets you  
__And the winds torment you  
__Call on me, you know I'm here,  
__Through the winter and the summer year._

Elsa leaned forward and rested her chin on Anna's shoulder, the two of them looking at one another through the mirror.

Elsa:

_So what should you do?_

Anna:

_I'll call on you  
__Though frost bite may get me_

Elsa:

_And winds torment me_

Both:

_I'll call on you._

They held the last note, harmonizing softly like their mother would with them. Anna felt sleepy suddenly. That lullaby always put her to sleep. Whenever the girls would refuse to go to bed, being the little rebels they always believed they were, the Queen would come in and set them both in Elsa's bed, sing them that song, and they'd fall asleep instantly. It was a bonding song they both enjoyed.

Elsa had sung it softly to Anna once when the princess was eight. She had spent the night outside of Elsa's door, trying to get her to come out. In order to finally put Anna to sleep, she sang that song and Anna was knocked out two minutes later.

"Why'd you sing that one?" Anna asked, trying to keep herself awake, Elsa returning to her work on Anna's braid.

"I was thinking of Mama earlier today," Elsa responded. "I just miss her… that's all."

"Me too," Anna whispered.

Elsa chuckled. "Sorry I made you tired. I got a little droopy eyed myself."

"Awh, it's fine," Anna said.

"Are you excited— don't slouch, you're messing up the braid— for tomorrow?"

"Uh-huh," Anna said, perking up. "Are you?"

"Well, it will be a nice change. And I need a break from all this work I've been doing." Elsa sniffed and cleared her throat. "I mean, really, I don't care what color they decide to paint the French ambassador's room."

Anna giggled. "They send you that stuff?"

"It's an opinionated thing… for example, if it would somehow offend Arendelle, they would consider a different color," Elsa said with a roll of her eyes. "But it's so ridiculous that I give that to Kai. I'll handle the more important things, thank you very much."

"I wonder why they even care…"

"I have no idea."

Elsa started on the next braid, keeping them in a simple two-braid style. She was feeling sleep creep up on her and doing the three braid combination would take too much time. Anna closed her eyes again and hummed the tune to herself, tapping her finger slowly on her knee. After Elsa finished the braids, she stood up and kissed Anna's head gently before heading to bed. Anna got to her feet and stretched, flopping onto her bed with a happy groan.

The queen sent out a cold breeze around the room, blowing out all the candles, so that the full moon was the only thing bringing them light. Anna pulled back her covered and sunk into them, smiling pleasantly. They both fell asleep peacefully, ready for a relaxing weekend.

* * *

The afternoon had reached a moderate temperature, which was great news for Elsa because she despised the heat of the sun. The two couples and the awkward pair made their way up the hills, talking as they went. Olaf had been invited so he was waddling in front of them, gawking at the trees and the sunlight and the flowers and _everything_ around him. They made it to the meadow in which Anna and Kristoff found the snowman and they spread out the blanket.

Their day was spent underneath trees and watching the waterfall tumble into the lake. Elsa wondered if her Ice Palace could be hiked to… and if her big snow monster was still there, protecting it. Anna had brought along a foreign game along with her called Kubb and was playing with Rapunzel, Kristoff, and Eugene. Olaf was skipping along the area and smelled almost every flower he could find. Sitting beside Elsa on the blanket was Thomas, observing the game being played.

"You don't play?" he asked Elsa.

"No… I don't know how to play," Elsa replied. "Anna used to play this with Mama and Papa sometimes but, of course, I couldn't."

"What did you do in your room for that long?"

"I drew, played chess… I practiced my magic."

She picked up a leaf that had fallen from the trees above and pressed her finger in the middle. Frost spread from her touch and crawled in different shapes and formed a perfect flower-like image on the green canvas. Thomas gaped at it. Elsa removed her finger and handed it to him.

"I would used the windows in my bedroom and practice. Of course, my parents never found out because I kept it secret," Elsa admitted with a dry smile. "You said you're good at sword play, right?"

"Mhm," he said with a nod, watching the leaf's artwork melt underneath the warm sun.

"What else do you do?" she said. "Do you ride horses?"

Thomas laughed. "Not a chance. I can't ride a horse at all. I fall off every time I try." He smirked and tossed the leaf to the side. "My little brother George can. He's really good at racing them, too. Peter is, ah, he's more of the cunning kind of person. We all have our strengths."

"I see," Elsa said. "I was never a rider myself. Anna loves riding now that the gates are open. She once got up really early to ride around the town and let her horse stretch his legs." She drew her knees up to her chest and side glanced at him. "If you're such a good sword fighter, then why aren't you in the military or something?"

"I thought about it. I once bested the most skillful sword fighter in my father's army when I was nine," Thomas said, his eyes gleaming. "He challenged _me_, if you can believe."

He suddenly leapt to his feet and strutted in front of the blanket. He set his feet apart and Elsa watched, intrigued. He positioned his hand as if he was holding a sword.

"He said to me, 'Young master,' he said. 'I challenge you to a duel!'" Thomas winked at her and she smiled. "So I told him, 'I don't want to hurt you.' 'Hurt me?' he said. 'You won't hurt me!'" He held up a finger. "Now, understand that I was very good at this point."

"Sure you were," Elsa teased, grinning at him.

"I was," he insisted, putting his fists on his hips.

"Uh-huh."

"Hush," he scolded playfully. "So we start the duel and he slices at me, right?" He jabs his hand forward, really putting on a show, making it hard for Elsa to stop grinning. "And I step back." He does so. "And counter the attack. Then I take a swing—" He slashed his hand in the air as if he were back and defending himself, "—and I take a nice slice out of his armor."

"You did _not_ cut his armor," Elsa said with a shake of her head.

"It… it might have been chain mail," Thomas argued.

"A nine-year-old boy couldn't possibly do such a thing."

"You didn't know nine-year-old Thomas. I was a brutal kid, I was!"

"You were _not_," Elsa rolled her eyes.

"Point is, I sent him on his rump and won the duel." He spread his arms. "Now he and I are great friends!"

Elsa giggled behind her hand as he plopped back down beside her, grinning a goofy grin she had never seen him wear before. She liked that smile on him… he seemed more like himself. Acting out his memories and making her laugh was something she could get used to.

"Great friends, huh?" she said with a smirk.

"Brilliant friends," he nodded heavily. "And the fantastic thing is, he got promoted to general of the military. If I wanted to go into the military, I would, but I have a few more things to think about."

"Such as?"

"My family… watching George and making sure Peter doesn't screw things up for himself." His smile faded. "I have a lot to do and I think they all expect too much from me, you know?" He tugged at his shirt, rolled up past his sleeves. "I wish I could just be Thomas…"

They fell silent and Elsa knew exactly what he was talking about. The itch to act like one's self without people saying that was untraditional. They returned to watching the game until it was over, Anna and Rapunzel's team victorious. The girls were jumping up and down and laughing, the two men looking at each other with exasperation. Tired and hungry, they joined Thomas and Elsa on the blanket and they started eating their lunches, packed sandwiches and bread rolls. The sun was making the water sparkle and the breeze warm.

More times than Elsa would like to admit, she kept meeting Thomas' gaze over the meal. They would hold eye-contact with each other for a few seconds before one of them, mostly Elsa, would get shy and look down again. Anna was the one who picked up on their awkward moments and decided to help her sister by engaging her in a conversation. Elsa was thankful and gave Anna her gentle, loving smile. It was about the drapes again but it became entertaining when Anna started to get really passionate about her opinion, her eyes glowing and her hands talking with her.

At one point, she threw her hand back and accidentally hit Eugene in the face. Anna gasped and turned to him, apologizing profusely. He said it was fine and smiled when Rapunzel kissed where he had gotten hit. Elsa gazed down at her sandwich, suddenly not as hungry as she thought she was. This picnic was a good idea, sure, but she kind of wished it wouldn't get any more awkward with Thomas than it already had been.

"I'm going to take a walk," Elsa said.

Both Anna and Thomas made to go with her but she snapped harsher than she meant to.

"_Alone_," she said darkly.

Everyone looked at her with surprise and her expression softened.

"I'm sorry… I'm… I'm just gonna go," she said. "Excuse me."

She cleared her throat and moved on, her hands behind her back. Without another word, she left them all alone, hoping to clear her head in a place she was familiar with. Her feet took her around the bend and up a little ways to the spot she had been searching for.

Elsa could see it, just barely, from where she was. It would take a couple of hours to reach the actual location but it was nice to see it was still standing. Her eyes glazed over with nostalgia… even if it was only six weeks she had been away from the place.

Her Ice Palace was boasting proudly on the North Mountain, sparkling with power in the summer sun. Elsa really hoped it wasn't melting slowly. It would break her heart if something she had created with so much energy, so much passion, so much love, and so much pent up anger would vanish from her life.

She stood still, observing it from afar. She swirled her hand in the air and made the breeze turn cold, soothing her skin. She closed her eyes and inhaled, the smells of the season flowing into her senses and clearing her mind. It was a nice feeling, being away from people. She was so used to isolation that it was incredibly scary for someone to be attached to her like Thomas was.

Anna's attachment was different, of course, because Anna was the only person Elsa yearned to have contact with. Her sister was more important to her than Arendelle… but she could never say that out loud, of course. Not to the staff or the citizens.

She never told Anna either but she had a feeling she knew.

It was a good change for once. Even in her study, she could be bothered by someone. She could never walk around town and be normal without someone dropping to their knees or bowling until their spines cracked. She wondered if Thomas got tired of it as much as she did.

When the cold air stopped flowing, she decided to head back and join the rest of her friends before one of them came after her. As she made her way around the meadow, she spotted Olaf staring at his reflection in the water, talking to it.

"Hi, I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs… no way, you too!" he gaped, his smile widening.

"Olaf," Elsa called softly.

The snowman turned and waved at her.

"Elsa, look at this!" he chimed. "There's a snowman in here who looks just like me!"

Smiling at his childish charm, she moved towards him and looked into the water herself. Olaf gasped and pointed at her reflection.

"There's another Elsa, too!" he whispered. "Ooh, this is so exciting."

She didn't have the heart to tell him the truth so she simply watched as he continued to speak to his own reflection. He began to get irritated as it 'talked over him' so he huffed away, Elsa chuckling and following him back to the picnic area.

When she returned, she found Thomas entertaining Rapunzel and Eugene with one of his stories. The couple was in tears, laughing at his tall tale.

"But, I swear, the pudding got _all_ over his face," Thomas grinned. "And my grandfather was the first to laugh. I've never heard him laugh that hard."

"You should hear the one when I accidentally broke the King's vase in the library," Eugene said.

"Ooh, Daddy got so mad," Rapunzel added. Her eyes caught Elsa's approaching figure and she waved. "Hey, Elsa! Have a nice walk?"

"I did… where's Anna and Kristoff?" Elsa asked.

Rapunzel shrugged. "I'm not sure. They went on their own walk and said they'd be—"

Anna came storming into the scene, her face flushed with anger. Kristoff was stumping after her, slowly and grimacing slightly. His eyes were downcast but Anna's were alight.

"—Back…" Rapunzel finished, her eyes following Anna's movement.

The princess marched up to Elsa and embraced her with a surprising amount of strength that Elsa thought was unnecessary.

"Anna, what are—?"

"Take me home, please," Anna croaked into her ear. "Please, Elsa, I wanna go home."

"O-okay, hold on," Elsa said gently. "We'll clean up and go home. Then you can talk to me all about… whatever happened."

Anna nodded and Elsa looked into her eyes. Her bottom lip was quivering and it appeared she was fighting tears.

"Stay here," Elsa said.

She moved gracefully over to the picnic set up and began to clean up. The other three stood up and started helping at once. Kristoff was in the back, picking up the Kubb set and tucking the pieces under his arm. He looked a little upset so Elsa didn't think it was a huge fight but she knew something had gone wrong between the two of them. They all began to make their way back to the kingdom.

* * *

Once they reached the Arendelle limits, Anna was walking briskly, her fists at her sides. Elsa kept an easy stride but made sure her sister was in her sights. As soon as they reached the gates, Anna broke into a run and burst into the castle. Elsa didn't go after her— she knew Anna was heading to the bedroom.

She turned to Rapunzel and Eugene, asking them to take the picnic things to Gerda before they go on with their day. She told Thomas to seek out Kai and said that they had a guest room he could stay in instead of his ship. Taken aback but pleased, he bowed his head and walked past her, after the couple. Olaf returned to his igloo in the garden, waving cheerfully.

Elsa then turned on Kristoff, her blue eyes sparkling with furious ice. The mountain man stood back, becoming afraid of Elsa for the first time. Frost crept along around the pair on the courtyard tiles.

"What happened?" Elsa growled behind bared teeth.

"I— I'm not sure," Kristoff stammered. "Look, you know how fired up Anna can get. We were talking and I made a comment and she countered it. It became a back-and-forth banter thing but it quickly got hurtful…"

"What did you say?"

"All I said was…" He froze, his eyes widening and he clamped his mouth shut.

Elsa liked Kristoff, sure, but Anna came first. If her sister was hurting because of him, she wouldn't hesitate to punish him and throw him into the fjords herself.

"_What did you say?_"

Her tone was deathly quiet and the wind began to pick up, snow flurries dancing around them.

He swallowed hard. "I may have asked why she's not afraid of you…"

The flurries died down and Elsa blinked.

_Wait, what?_ Elsa thought. _That's it?_

"And what did she reply?" Elsa said carefully.

"She said why I asked… then I talked about how she— you— could, y'know, kill people in one flick of your hand and she got really defensive." Kristoff cleared his throat. "But I realize what I said was wrong. We got deeper into how she can be stubborn and how I could be aloof— whatever that means— and then she stormed away."

"Oh, Anna," Elsa whispered, placing her fingertips on her forehead. "Kristoff… I know you didn't mean anything by what you said." She sent him a thin smile. "Just be careful from now on. I'm going to go find her and I want you to leave her be for a while, okay?"

He nodded. She patted his arm and moved on, striding up to the castle.

* * *

**I know that Kristoff is a little OC here but I tried. I really did.**

**Thank you, disney-princess, for your entry! I'm looking forward to more coming from the rest of you.**

**By the way, did you guys get the _Brave_ reference made by Rapunzel?**

**And if you guys want to see what Thomas looks like, tell me, follow me on Tumblr (athpluver), I **_**always**_** follow back, and I'll upload it when I can!**

**See you next time!**


	8. Chapter 8: Days Passing

**I have risen from the BED!**

**OH MY GOD SHE LIVES!**

**My mother was surprised I even got out of bed this morning after the first week of school. Guys, seriously, **_**I**_** surprised myself.**

**Send help.**

**But at least I get to write more of **_**Coping**_** for you guys! No songs in this chapter but send some in! Currently looking for: a goodbye song between the cousins, a ballad between Thomas and Elsa (similar to "As Long As You're Mine" from Wicked), a solo for Anna about love and how weird it is, and a song for Elsa about the work she has to do as a queen.**

**GUYS! Tell me if you want to see what Thomas looks like and I will post him on my Tumblr! I need more support in order to do so!**

**Disclaimer: Disney owns FROZEN.**

* * *

She wasn't crying, which was expected by Elsa. No, Anna was leaning against the headboard of her bed, her knees drawn up to her chest and her chin resting between them. Anna was picking at the blanket's thread, her eyes lidded and downcast. Elsa shut the door softly behind her and approached her sister, sitting beside the princess and wrapping a loving arm around her shoulders.

No words were spoken. It was just the two of them and the weight of what happened between Anna and Kristoff hanging over their heads. Elsa brought her sibling closer to her and Anna closed her eyes, happy that the queen was being so caring towards her.

"Are you going to be okay?" Elsa finally said, her other hand intertwining with Anna's.

The princess nodded.

"Do you want to stay in here for the rest of the day?"

She shook her head.

"Do you just want to be alone in your study?"

Again, she shook her head. Elsa let go of Anna's hand and took her chin between her forefinger and thumb, smiling softly.

"Do you wanna build a snowman?" she asked.

Anna broke into a smile and nodded. They got off the bed and went downstairs together, keeping quiet so it could just be the two of them to goof off. Anna slid inside the ballroom and Elsa shut the door, waving her hand and sending a burst of snow into the ceiling to create a snowfall. She met with Anna in the middle and stamped her foot onto the glossy floor and ice caked the ground, feathering out from her hit. Anna slipped but Elsa caught her.

The princess was brightening up slowly. Sure, she was still upset but being with Elsa was plenty to cheer her up. Elsa created ice skates on Anna's boots and her own shoes. Anna's legs shook but Elsa eased her through the steps, never letting go of her hands.

"That's it," Elsa echoed Anna from the ball. "Glide and pivot… glide and pivot. No, you're— Ha, that's right!"

They started to pick up speed, Anna getting a hang of skating. Elsa kept her steady, guiding her around the room as snow filled the area.

"I'm gonna let you go now," Elsa warned. "Are you ready?"

"No-not really," Anna stuttered.

"You got it," Elsa assured, her grip slipping away from Anna's hands. "Go on!"

Elsa folded her hands behind her back and skated the other direction, keeping a close watch on Anna as she skated clumsily. Anna whirled her arms but kept as steady as she could, her blades skimming the ice beneath her.

After poor Anna fell on her behind a few times, Elsa decided to get to what they came here for. She removed the skates from Anna and guided her to a snow drift that had collected and they gathered snow, packing it together and build a snowman. No magic— just their own two hands.

When it was finished, they sat beside one another in the snow and observed it, smiles on their faces. Anna sighed and leaned on Elsa.

"Thank you for cheering me up," she said. "I really needed this."

"Anytime, Anna…"

* * *

It was decided that Kristoff and Anna remain separated for a while so problems wouldn't arise. The choice was hard to make but it seemed to be the best one. Kristoff went back to being isolated in the stables and Anna stayed in the castle as usual. She had returned to her perky personality but hurt was still behind her eyes.

Elsa had to resist the urge to punch something. She loved Kristoff and knew he meant no harm to Anna because so many hurtful things are said in arguments but… Anna was her baby sister and _nobody_ was allowed to hurt her.

_Nobody._

Thomas was staying the castle now but kept to himself, often times found in the library and looking over old books. He and Elsa would pass each other by and lock eyes, smiling shyly before they lightly brushed shoulders as they kept walking the opposite directions. Anna would tease Elsa about it and once made kissing noises when Elsa strode by. Anna earned a snowball to her head when she went on her way, snickering to herself.

The two of them were getting closer just by sharing smiles across the dinner table. The nervousness and the lingering kiss she still felt on her lips was terrifying Elsa. The warm personality of the prince was something she liked about him and was getting to know him more and more everyday.

For instance, he stuttered when he got anxious, his words stumbling over each other and he had to stop, close his eyes, and count to ten before he can speak calmly again. He was left handed but was taught to write with his right hand because it was 'proper' according to his mentor back home. So technically, he was ambidextrous. He hated the taste of red wine but loved white wine. His library back home had a secret section full of romance novels because he enjoyed the happily ever after endings.

Thomas was fascinating, to say the least. He was certainly more fun than he appeared to be. Elsa once found him sliding down the halls with Anna and Rapunzel— which was absolutely hilarious to witness. He spotted her laughing and crashed into a vase, his face red with embarrassment. She helped him up and they shared a laugh together, the princesses both making smooching noises and getting a face full of snow from the queen.

But in spite of getting to know him, Elsa was still hesitant to be with him. He definitely showed signs of interest but Elsa remained distant. She let him get as close as kissing her cheek goodnight if he found her before she went to bed. Otherwise, he wasn't to try anything further. Elsa desperately wanted this relationship but didn't want to push it.

"Just do it already!" Anna said one night. "Grab his face and kiss 'im!"

The princess was hanging off her bed, her head touching the floor while the rest of her body was on the blanket. Her face was red with the blood that pooled inside but she didn't seem bothered by it. She was watching Elsa write a few things down at her desk.

"No… I can't," Elsa whispered. "I'm too busy."

"Elsa, geez, he's so into you!" Anna pointed out. "And busy isn't an excuse. I'm super busy, too, but I'm still with…" The princess fell silent and shut her mouth.

The queen didn't press her sister's point. "Thomas really doesn't like me like that."

"He does," Anna insisted. "You can see it in his eyes. Elsa, he looks for you so he can kiss your cheek before bed. If that's not affection, I don't know what is."

Elsa sighed and dipped her quill into the ink bottle, scratched her signature on a document, and said no more. Anna pursed her lips and let her torso collapse on the floor beside her. She got to her feet, held her head and let the blood drain away, and then rushed to her wardrobe. Elsa didn't pay attention, pulling a new paper in front of her and read it in French, mumbling in the language to herself. Anna passed her by and grabbed her blank mannequin and wheeled it over to her wardrobe. Again, Elsa didn't glance away from the paper.

As she raised the quill to mark a few notes, Anna bounded over and grabbed her wrist, dragging her away from her desk, quill still aloft.

"Anna, what are—?"

"Shush!"

Anna snatched the quill away and placed it down on the desk before pushing Elsa over to the mannequin.

The torso was dressed in a man's tailcoat, emerald green like the one Thomas wore to the ball. Where the princess acquired it, Elsa had no idea. Anna stood behind the mannequin and cleared her throat thickly and spoke in a deep British accent that sounded _nothing_ like Thomas.

"'Ello, Elsa!" she sang. "It's me Thomas! I'm totally in love with you."

"What are you doing?" Elsa said, crossing her arms.

"Admit your love for him to this dummy!" Anna suggested.

"I'm _not_ in love with him," Elsa said.

"Whatever, just pretend it's him!"

"Not happening."

"But, Elsa—"

"Nope."

"Please, just—"

"You're being ridiculous!"

"I am not! It's a great method," Anna said. "Seriously!"

Elsa blinked and combed over the mannequin. Anna was grinning cheekily over the shoulder of the practice Thomas, raising her eyebrows expectantly. With a sigh, Elsa decided to humor Anna. She dropped her hands to her sides and spoke.

"Hello, Thomas," Elsa said, trying to force down the smile that was creeping across her face. "How are you?"

"Oh, just peachy, Elsa!" Anna's fake voice responded.

"I can't do this with you dorking it up!"

"Just try!"

"He's royalty so he doesn't talk like that."

"Pfft, whatever. Keep going."

"No! I'm not doing this anymore." Elsa shook her head and tried to return to the desk and finish her work.

"Give it a chance!" Anna begged. "Please!"

"No."

Anna groaned and pushed the mannequin over in defeat. It fell to the floor with a clatter and Anna threw herself back on the bed. She stared at her canopy and then back at Elsa, who was writing in French on the paper.

"Are you ever gonna be with him?" Anna asked quietly.

The quill froze over the paper, Elsa considering the words that carried so much meaning. Good question, though… _was_ Elsa going to attempt a relationship? With this man she knew she was slowly, but surely, falling for…

The thought sent chills down her spine and across the room. Anna shivered from the cold breeze and knew that Elsa didn't want to talk about it anymore. She shut up instead and rolled onto her stomach, resting her chin on top of her intertwined fingers, watching the day die behind the window panes. She listened to the ticking of the clock in the background, clicking her tongue gently to the beat.

Then Elsa spoke.

"I want to be," she admitted softly.

Anna sat bolt upright, her eyes wide and a smile blessing her features. Elsa's pale face was red but she wasn't smiling back at Anna. She looked frightened, as if the very idea of being close to someone was enough to freeze Arendelle all over again. She chewed her lip and squeezed her eyes shut. Anna stood and went over to her sister, ice growing in the corners and crawling around the glass of the window.

"You do?" Anna whispered.

Elsa nodded… appearing more ashamed than loving.

Snow began to fall around them. Anna grabbed Elsa's hands and squeezed hard, trying to sooth her. Elsa squeezed back, shaking.

This was really scary for her. Truly, truly scary.

"Elsa, hey, it's okay," Anna said. "Remember… love will thaw. So it's a good thing."

"I'm not in love with him!" Elsa cried, standing up, her chest heaving and the ice cracking all around them. "Anna, I'm not like you! I don't fall in love with men I've just met!"

Anna's smile vanished and she looked incredibly hurt. Elsa realized what she just said and gasped, covering her mouth quickly.

"No… no, I didn't mean that, Anna," she said. "Anna, I'm so sorry."

The snow fell a little slower as regret filled Elsa's being.

"Really— I… I'm—"

"It's okay," Anna said. "It's fine, I understand… but Elsa, in love with him or not, he _does_ like you and you should try!"

Elsa sat back down and rested her forehead in her hands, breathing slowly so the ice and snow would disappear. Anna rubbed her back and cooed soft words and watched the frost recede. There had to be some way for Elsa to face these fears and let herself go.

* * *

It was noon the following day… Elsa had finished her morning duties and signed a few documents, sending them to Kai to look over, officiate, and send. Anna was modeling for Rapunzel, Eugene in a dancing pose with Anna so Rapunzel could sketch their positions. Kristoff had gone on an extensive Ice Harvesting trip, hoping to clear his head and to give Anna some space. And Thomas was in the library again, flipping through yellowing pages of old novels the King used to collect.

Elsa was right outside the library door, ice flowing across the walls and in a ring around her feet. Her hand was raised, ready to knock on the door...

What had Anna gotten her into? She had persuaded Elsa to go and tell Thomas that she was ready… to just give him a chance and see what would happen.

Now the Snow Queen felt frozen to the spot, anxiously waiting for the moment her hand decided to beat against the door on its own. It would make her life so much easier...

_Just do it_, Elsa thought. _Do it. Get it over with._

She took in a deep breath and knocked gently. She heard footsteps from the other side and stepped back. The door opened and Thomas stood before her, smiling pleasantly. Elsa swallowed her breath, trying to calm herself down.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi," she whispered. "May I talk to you?"

"Sure."

Elsa stepped inside, flurries following her trail. Thomas noticed them but didn't say anything, leaving the door open in case she needed to make a fast exit. Elsa walked towards the window and eyed the drapes… Anna wanted to change them but she had yet to talk to Gerda about it…

The queen took in another deep breath, feeling her hands shaking at her sides. She turned around to face him. He looked concerned, his warm smile gone. She let out her breath, shuddering as it was released in a fog.

The room was getting colder.

"Thomas…" she said. "I'm not ready."

"I'm sorry?"

"I— I'm _not_ ready… but I want this… I want…" She licked her lips. She gestured helplessly between the two of them. "Us…"

Thomas blinked. "But if you're not ready—"

"Thomas, I'm not ready because I am _so_ terrified," Elsa confessed, her voice shaking and the flurries fluttering around her body. "Terrified because I've never felt so close to anyone ever… before Anna, I mean. But that's different… I just need to see… to see what everything is like."

She met his eyes… those chocolate brown eyes…

She could spend days looking into those eyes.

"I'm not sure I understand," Thomas said carefully. "Elsa… what are you getting at?"

"I need to know what Anna knows!" Elsa said, breathing hard. "What she understands. How happy she could be… I want that, too!"

"Elsa?"

"I want… I want you to help me."

"How can I possibly—?"

"Thomas, please!" Elsa begged. "Just… listen."

He nodded and she tried to catch her breath. She ran her hands through her hair and snowflakes got caught, tangled, in her locks. She struggled to find words, to say— to _explain_ her situation and intentions. Gods, he was so amazing… standing there patiently as he waited for her to calm down. His hands folded neatly behind his back and a small smile on his face, encouraging her to relax.

"I'll help you to the best of my ability," he said. "Elsa… I don't want you to hurt yourself over this."

"I'm… I'm not trying to do that," Elsa grumbled, her hair shining with snow. "No, I just need to understand myself. Understand people… know what to do when I'm in this kind of situation."

"Situation?"

"Ugh! I don't know!"

Her fists flew to her sides and puffs of frost escaped. Thomas didn't flinch. He didn't seem at all afraid of her abilities…

He never was…

Elsa looked at him again and saw that caring smile. There was affection in his eyes— as if seeing her this fired up was the most beautiful thing he had ever witnessed.

"Elsa…?"

That was it! She had to do it _now_ or she might burst!

Elsa sucked in her breath and marched over to him. A tiny storm was following her, swirling with passion and fury. She waved her hand sharply and the door slammed shut. Thomas watched her, flabbergasted, approach him with fear in her eyes. She grabbed his neck and yanked him down, kissing him with quivering lips and shaking hands.

Reacting at once, his hands went to her waist and kissed her back, as if he was telling her not to be afraid.

The storm died away and the ice vanished.

Slowly, Thomas let go of her kiss and Elsa opened her eyes. She stared at him, her icy orbs glowing. He took her chin between his forefinger and thumb and gave her a smile.

"Don't be afraid," he cooed.

"I don't know how to stop," she whimpered.

He embraced her gently and she closed her eyes again, enjoying the warmth of his being.

"I'll be here," he promised. "Elsa… I'm willing to wait until you're ready—"

"No, I just— I just need to see… I need to know…"

Thomas ducked down and kissed her again.

This time, Elsa melted in his touch— so did her fear.

Even if it was just for that moment.

* * *

In the evening, Elsa entered her bedroom quietly so she wouldn't disturb her sleeping sister. She had spent the rest of her day with Thomas as he tried to understand her boundaries for their newest 'relationship.' They were together, yes, but Elsa was still on edge about it. She wanted to know what it was like to be with someone… and this was how she was going to do it.

Thomas was able to set the limits with ease and promised to take it as slow as he could. The queen hated being so terrified. She had been for thirteen years of her life and look where that got her. She froze her kingdom and almost killed her sister.

That last thought made her heart skip a beat, haunting her dreams for days at a time. Staring at the ice sculpture of her little sister attempting to save Elsa's life. She looked so sad— using her last bits of strength to protect someone who had struck ice into her heart.

When she saw Anna's blue face… her entire world died.

Elsa shook her head and looked at Anna, reminding herself that she was still alive. That her heart was beating strong, pumping warm blood through Anna's tiny body. The girl was snoring underneath the covers, her hair starting to stick out of the braids she had done herself. Her dress had been tossed haphazardly to the side, showing she had just gotten into bed without bothering to put any effort into her evening routine.

The queen smiled and moved over to Anna, kissing her cheek softly before going to bed herself. As she undressed and slipped into her nightgown, Elsa thought about Thomas and what he promised… how strict Elsa had been trying to control a relationship with ridiculous boundaries. Thomas was _not_ a kingdom she ruled over. He was a human being, a smart and caring human being that Elsa shouldn't be afraid of.

She climbed into bed and sunk underneath the covers, gazing blankly at the canopy above. She listened to the crickets outside, chirping merrily. The moon was waning but managed to bask the room in its glow. Anna would mumble in her sleep and Elsa caught words like 'water' and 'stupid' and 'reindeer.' The clock was ticking, fast-paced, and the occasional late night servant would walk by swiftly so they wouldn't wake anybody.

Elsa turned onto her side to watch the skies. The Northern Lights were dancing in the distance, blessing the Ice Harvesters not too far from home. She wondered if Kristoff was managing well. She also prayed that he and Anna would make up once he returned. Seeing Anna so sad when she slugged through the halls broke Elsa's heart…

She closed her eyes and sighed, trying to let Anna's murmuring put her to sleep. Thomas drifted into her head, promising to stick close to her and be at her side through her fear. He understood why she felt that way and he was willing to help.

Elsa managed to fall asleep with a smile on her face.

* * *

The sun hit Anna in the face, leaking through the window panes and making her scrunch her nose. Anna turned and toppled out of bed with a yelp, falling to the floor. Elsa heard the shout and sat up blearily, rubbing her eyes.

"What happened?" she slurred. "Anna?"

"I have no idea," came Anna's response, her mouth full of carpet. "But I'm certainly awake."

Elsa laughed and got out of bed, moving over to Anna and helped her up. They giggled together and tiredly leaned on one another, their morning off to a great start. The girls dressed for breakfast and went downstairs together, their arms linked.

"So…" Anna sang as they walked. "How was your day with Thomas?"

"It was…"

Another good question. Anna was full of those lately.

"We're together," Elsa said a little more confidently than she had been the previous night. "At least, that's what we're trying to do."

"At _least_ you're trying," Anna added. "Oh, Elsa, you're leaving your comfort zone! Having Thomas to help you along— I think it's wonderful."

Elsa smiled, her heart fluttering. The fear she had felt was ebbing away and she was getting excited to see Thomas at breakfast. When the girls entered the room, Thomas was sitting with Rapunzel and Eugene, listening to their wedding story. He glanced towards the door and smiled at Elsa, who raised her shoulders slightly, waving at him shyly. Anna giggled and let go of Elsa, sitting beside Thomas and tuning into the story.

As Elsa passed Thomas by, he caught her by the wrist and brought her down, giving her a kiss on the cheek in greeting. Elsa flushed but let him do it anyway, loving this newfound affection more and more. She sat at her seat and the breakfast was served.

Elsa spent her morning with Anna, going over a few things that needed to be dealt with around the castle. The sisters hardly spoke about political matters but the queen felt that it was time to start training Anna in becoming an heir. After all, if something were to happen to Elsa, Anna would takeover the kingdom in her place. Anna thought the lessons were dreadfully boring but walking down the halls with Elsa was a nice way to spend the morning. She would ask questions and Elsa would answer, making sure to go over every detail. The princess wished that she didn't have to hear any of it, however.

As they walked, Anna had grabbed Elsa's hand and beamed brightly at her older sister. Elsa smiled back and allowed Anna to hold her hand as they continued their stroll.

In the mid-morning, Anna went on to speak with Gerda about the drapes and Elsa finished a few documents in her study. Rapunzel and Eugene had gone out to town for the day, shopping and having lunch together so Anna didn't have any company. Elsa was too busy now to entertain Anna so she had told her to wait a while.

As Elsa was finishing her work, someone knocked and she allowed entry. In came Thomas, grinning cheekily at her.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked.

She shook her head and he shut the door behind him. He strolled past her and sat at the window seat, watching her finish her work. She cleared her throat and signed the bottom of a document.

"When do you go back to England?" she said conversationally.

"Trying to get rid of me?" he teased.

Elsa smirked. "No. I'm just wondering."

"Not for a while. My sail got damaged and a few things were effected and… I dunno _what_ is going on," he admitted. "But maybe in the middle of August, I'll be out of your hair."

"I don't want that to happen," she said, standing up and joining him at the window. "Not yet…"

He chortled and caressed her cold cheek. "Don't worry. You'll be stuck with me for a while."

"Good," she said.

He kissed her forehead and she smiled, closing her eyes at his touch. She could feel the ice in her veins fight itself. Should it be nervous and grow or should it be happy and melt? The inner battle Elsa was having was effecting her powers. So much so that some escaped her grasp and flicked Thomas in the cheek. He started back and blinked, Elsa gaping at herself.

Thomas started to laugh and she joined him. She rubbed the spot with her thumb and apologized.

"You can't make me any cooler than I already am," he grinned. "But nice try."

"Oh, stop it," Elsa shook her head. "You're not that cool."

"I'm so cool!"

"_I'm_ the queen of cool."

"Says who?"

"Everyone in Arendelle. They would know first hand."

"Touché, Elsa."

They grinned at one another and leaned their foreheads together. Elsa liked these feelings… she liked the stupid flirting… it was amazing and she now understood how Anna felt when Kristoff would clumsily flirt with her. How it made her heart race but plaster a smile onto her features.

The next couple of days were spent with Thomas, getting used to the attachment and affection from another human that wasn't her sister. Although it was a different attachment— a different affection— Elsa was starting to loosen up.

Anna had never seen her smile so much in one day. Elsa was usually so reserved, unless she was around Anna, and would remain in her study doing work. But Anna once walked by the open door of the room and spied Thomas and Elsa at the window seat, giggling under their breath and enjoying each other's company.

But just because she was sinking into the feeling didn't mean Elsa was no longer afraid. She often had nightmares of freezing Thomas by accident, staring down at his face like she did with Anna when the effects of the frozen heart swallowed her. Elsa would wake up and find the room covered in ice, Anna shivering underneath the blankets. The queen would have to take a few breaths before the ice would fade and she could sleep again.

* * *

The week was ending and Kristoff had yet to return to Arendelle. Anna was getting incredibly worried about him and really hoped that he was going to come back in one piece. Elsa and Rapunzel were walking through the castle, spending as much time as they could together before she and Eugene left to Scotland, when they heard sniffling behind a door. They paused and exchanged looks. Elsa knocked gently and called out.

"Anna?" she said. "Are you in there?"

The door opened and there stood the princess, red-eyed and drippy-nosed. She smiled thickly and cleared her throat.

"Hi," she croaked.

"Are you okay?" Elsa asked as she went inside, Rapunzel following.

Anna's study was still as messy as ever, paper littering the floors and flooding the wastebaskets. A few books were attempted to be crammed into the already overflowing shelves and Anna's desk was ink-splattered. Elsa glanced at a few of the items on the desk and caught a few tear drops on one of the papers, blotching the word 'Kristoff.'

"Yeah… yeah, just fine," Anna said.

"No, you're not," Rapunzel said, shutting the door. "What's the problem?"

"Is it about Kristoff?" Elsa said, facing her sister with her eyebrows raised.

"N… no…"

"_Anna._"

"Elsa, really."

The queen snatched up a paper but didn't dare read it. All she did was point to the messy handwriting and the name of the mountain man, smeared with the tears of the princess. Anna shifted her weight from foot to foot, not meeting her sister's eyes.

"What is this, then?" Elsa said.

"It's… an apology letter," Anna said. She gestured around the room at several crumpled up pieces of paper. "One of many attempts… I'm just worried that he's not coming home anytime soon."

"Anna, that's silly," Rapunzel said, placing her hands on Anna's shoulders. "He loves you. He'll get here when he gets here. He wants to give you space after your fight."

"It was a stupid fight," Anna sniffed, rubbing her eyes.

Elsa placed the parchment back on the desk and went to the window. The princess had closed the drapes so the only light in the stuffy study came from the oil lanterns and the fireplace. The queen threw the drapes open and let light flow into the room. Anna's eyes widened and scrambled over her mess, rushing past Elsa and shutting the drapes.

"No… no, the light's not good for my books," she said. Elsa stared at Anna, blinking. The princess sighed. "I'm sorry… I just…"

"It's okay," Elsa assured. "Let's get you out of here and get some chocolate, all right?"

Anna smiled. "Yes, your Majesty."

* * *

That evening, Elsa was in her study, writing to a German ambassador about a new trade route. Thomas was looking over her books and took out a few of them, skimming over the words before placing them back.

"Don't mess up my system," she warned him, not gazing away from her work.

"I'm not," he promised. "I'm putting them back where they belong."

Elsa chewed on the end of her quill thoughtfully before she continued writing, her slow-ticking clock echoing around her and Thomas. The prince found a book that was jutting out of the shelf. He glanced over his shoulder at Elsa, who was still jotting down some information and wasn't watching. Then he went back to the book, taking it out and reading it.

It was an old book full of myths and legends. Several little notes were scrawled in the corners and it was stained in places. A chocolate stain… maybe some spit by accident. Why Elsa kept such a beat up book, he had no idea. There were even some pictures crudely drawn on blank pages.

He cleared his throat and faced her. Her eyes raised from her documents and he presented the book to her. Elsa took it and raised an eyebrow.

"What about it?" she asked.

"Why do you keep a book in such horrid condition?" he said.

"Horrid?" she repeated. "Thomas, this book is very important to me."

"Oh—! Wait, really?"

Elsa flipped through the pages with a smile. "Yes. I used to read this to Anna almost every night before bed… before she could read it herself. When I was in my room, she would sit outside my door and read it…" She pointed to a burned page. "See, we would read by the fire and one of the embers got out and burned the page… And here—" She pointed to the chocolate stain. "—that was actually me. I spilled some chocolate milk all over myself when Anna tried to tickle me. She made _this_ one—" She pointed to another chocolate stain. "That was hot chocolate, however."

Thomas chuckled. "You two were a mess."

"We made many," Elsa agreed. "Too many. I learned to be cleaner as I grew older but Anna never changed. I mean, look at her study. I don't know how she copes with it all cluttered up like that."

"Artists have their workshops," he said, taking the book from her so he could put it back into the shelf. "And I've seen many that would put her study to shame."

Elsa went back to her work and he sat beside her, brushing a few bangs out of her face.

"Can you stop a second?" he asked silkily.

She rolled her eyes and nudged him away. "No."

He guided her face to look at him. She was smiling coyly, her quill hovering over the parchment.

"I'll have time for you later," she breathed.

"No time quite like the present," he replied, leaning closer to her.

The doors opened briskly and they paused, peering over at the door. Kai was standing in the doorway, his expression grim. Elsa stood and placed her quill on the table, moving over to him.

"What's the matter?" she said.

"I… your Majesty…" He cleared his throat. "Someone has requested your audience in the royal study."

Elsa stared. "I'm sorry, I'm confused. Who has?"

Kai refused to meet her eyes and found his fingernails incredibly interesting.

"If you please… this way," he said.

"Kai?"

He finally met her gaze and sent her a pleading look, begging her to come along. Elsa told Thomas she would be back and he nodded, remaining in the study alone. The queen followed Kai down the corridors, past Elsa and Anna's bedroom, and to the very last door at the end of a hallway.

The butler took in a deep breath and Elsa felt a little worried. Kai pushed open the doors and allowed Elsa to step inside. Her icy eyes wandered around the room until they landed on the person awaiting her.

Hatred boiled her blood and ice shot through her veins, creating an odd mixture of a heated face and a cold glare.

What was he doing here?

* * *

**Who is he? Find out next chapter! Hahahaha! This really isn't my favorite chapter but I did my best.****  
**

**AND GUYS! FROZEN WON THE GOLDEN GLOBE FOR BEST ANIMATED FEATURE! Let's all take a moment and clap. Yeah, we didn't win for "Let it Go" but we won best Animated feature. So that's wonderful!**

**Hey, so review and stuff. Send in songs and follow me on Tumblr (athpluver) and tell me if you want to see Thomas on my blog.**

**See you next time!**


	9. Chapter 9: Bernard

**Hello, everyone~**

**Thanks for tuning into another chapter of **_**Coping**_**. Remember I'm looking out for songs that are: a goodbye song between the cousins, a ballad between Thomas and Elsa (similar to "As Long As You're Mine" from Wicked), a solo for Anna about love and how weird it is, and a song for Elsa about the work she has to do as a queen.**

**Let's get back to the story! I think a lot of you are gonna be pretty surprised.**

**Disclaimer: Disney owns FROZEN**

* * *

He was standing in his crisp tail-coat, his light hair combed neatly and his cold grey eyes staring her down. His smile was thin, his gloved hands folded behind his back, and giving Elsa the chills. He was too calm… too pleasant looking. It was as if he was hiding a dark secret behind those eyes, storms of evil swirling in his head. He was staring Elsa down, never taking his eyes off of her. It made her uncomfortable. Incredibly uncomfortable.

Kai stood behind her, holding his breath and awaiting his orders. The other addressed Kai, making the sweating butler look up.

"Thank you, Kai. That will be all," he said.

Kai bowed his head and left Elsa alone with him. She wanted to call Kai back but her voice had been lost, words stuck in her throat. His dark boots clacked dangerously across the floor as he went closer to her. In order to defend herself, she managed to speak—

"Bernard," she croaked. "I haven't seen you since I was little… Anna told me you left the day before my coronation."

"Yes, for a short while," Bernard said, his smile growing. "I did leave Arendelle for some time but I have returned. I trust things have gone well in my absence."

"They have."

"Mhm…"

He strode over to the desk near the queen and shuffled through several papers. The silence was heavy, the ruffling of the parchment the only thing keeping Elsa on the planet.

"Tell me what it is you plan on doing now that you've come back," Elsa said, watching him carefully.

"I resumed my position as royal advisor," he told her.

Her eyes widened and fear struck her heart. "No, that's Kai's job."

"Not anymore."

"But he's—!"

"Oh, Elsa…" Bernard turned, a few papers in his hand. "Kai may have been your father's favorite but _I_ was always the one with the final say."

"I don't have to take you under— I'm _not_ my father," Elsa said dangerously.

"I suggest you listen to me, Elsa, or I might have to reveal to Arendelle and your dear sister of your powers." His eyes wandered down to her hands— which were gloved— and then back into her eyes with a wicked gleam.

Elsa smirked and his smile vanished, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Go ahead," she challenged. "I won't stop you."

"You can't be serious," Bernard said.

"They'll believe you, all right. Because they know."

He blinked and his surprised stature was replaced with a deadly scowl.

"How?"

It was then Elsa realized that Bernard had been absent during the Great Freeze of the kingdom. He had no idea that her abilities were revealed to everyone. He cleared his throat and demanded how, again, they all knew. Elsa quickly explained that she froze Arendelle by accident, then went on to tell him how it was thawed. It was the shortest retelling of the legend she ever recited, sparing the details of her Ice Palace and freezing Anna's heart and Hans and among other things.

Bernard grumbled to himself and fingered through the documents.

"Well, then… I do know other ways to get you to cooperate, Elsa." He met her gaze. "And don't think your sister will be spared. Am I understood?"

Elsa deflated, feeling the weight of the threat sink into her skin. She swallowed hard and hugged her arms to her chest, trying not to strike him with an icicle to the heart. Reluctantly, she nodded and he returned to his thin smile.

"Excellent. Now then— about your decisions in the Weselton trade," he said, finding the parchment he was looking for. "You have severed the ties. Are you a moron, Elsa?"

"Excuse me?"

"Don't make me repeat myself. You know how much I hate that."

Elsa gaped at him. He reached down and shut her mouth with his finger.

"Enough of that." He cleared his throat again. "How dare you sever such important ties with such a prosperous kingdom?"

"I have my reasons," Elsa snapped, moving around him so she was facing him directly, keeping an eye on the door in case someone walked inside. "The Duke was a traitor and made me second guess our partnership. Therefore, Anna and I—"

"I don't care! I made that trade agreement because they supplied us with goods."

"I have replaced Weselton with a far greater ally and trade partner—"

"Yes, yes. I saw that. _England_, huh?" he grimaced. "I heard that you're are keeping and English prince in the castle. Is that true?"

Elsa hesitated before she nodded slowly. Bernard furrowed his brow and looked deep into her eyes, his grimace only growing deeper. Then he shook his head and placed a couple of papers down on the desk.

"No. Absolutely not," he said. "I see what's going on here."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"You can't be courted by him anymore."

Elsa stared. Her whole body suddenly felt like lead and her heart felt as if it had been stomped on. Thomas couldn't be with her anymore?

What?

No!

"You… you're not serious?" she asked, her voice cracking.

"I am very serious," Bernard insisted. "What if you two were to break it off and he decides to tell his family that Arendelle is a terrible kingdom to trade with? Most likely he's just courting you because he wanted you to sign on his behalf."

"_No_. Thomas isn't like that," Elsa said confidently. "He would never—"

"I don't care if 'he isn't like that,'" he drawled, rolling his eyes heavily.

Elsa let her arms slide from her chest and fall at her sides. When he was searching through the papers, she tried to remove one of her gloves and lock him away in a cage of ice but he spoke without looking up.

"Don't you even think about threatening me, Elsa. Your sister's well-being is on the line," he told her.

She clenched her fists and started to shake, really wanting to slam her fist— magic or no— into his face and send him flying across the room. He smiled at her, his grey eyes menacing.

"Never again," he warned. "Don't you try it again, am I understood, child?"

Elsa was shaking harder, trying to keep her prowess inside. The rafters were gaining a couple of icicles, dangling over the pair. Bernard glanced up and gave them a blank stare, his fingers still working through the documents. He looked back at the infuriated queen, raising his eyebrows. Her shadow from the dying day outside was cast over the advisor and he appeared dark, his tall figure looming over her lithe body. Elsa felt as if she were a mouse caught by the paw of a cat.

"Conceal don't feel, Elsa," he said darkly with a low chuckle.

Just as she was about to retaliate and shout against her will, the doors were thrown open and Anna walked inside. She smiled brightly at Elsa and waved.

"There you are! I was looking for you. Okay— so, I talked to Gerda about the drapes and she said that…"

She trailed off as Elsa sent her a pleading expression. Anna gazed at the man, who had turned his head to look at her. Anna was speechless, like her sister had been before, when she realized who he was. She drew herself up and crossed her arms.

"Hello, Bernard," she managed. "I thought you had left Arendelle."

"As I told your sister, I did for a while," Bernard said. "My, my, Anna, you have grown."

"You saw me seven weeks ago," she reminded him lamely.

"I was being ironic," he said with a smirk, making her face flush.

Anna sent Elsa an incredulous look. The queen stared to beg, though nothing came out of her lips. Anna had to squint to be able to understand what Elsa was trying to communicate.

'Get him out of here,' she mouthed. 'Please!'

When it registered, Anna nodded quickly and caught Bernard's attention.

"Bernard! May I speak to you for a second?" she fibbed, gesturing behind her. "I need to ask you a few things now that you're back."

He sighed heavily and put his things down.

"Fine. I should turn in afterwards. See you in the morning, Elsa," he said, following Anna outside.

The princess gave Elsa a small smile before shutting the door.

Once their footsteps left the hall, Elsa let out a furious scream and tore off her glove. Breathing hard, she created a fist and shot a blast of ice into a table, shattering and splintering the wood all around her.

A storm brewed in the room.

* * *

"What is it that you needed?" Bernard said distractedly, glaring at the princess.

"I wanted to ask about the tapestry in the throne room," Anna lied. "See, Elsa is gonna get it redone and I was wondering if we can have a new tapestry of the current rulers of Arendelle."

"Rulers?" he repeated.

"Um… yes. Me and Elsa," Anna replied.

He let out a laugh and shook his head. "Oh, Anna, you aren't a ruler. You barely have any power in the kingdom— the castle, even. You honestly believe you're a ruler?"

"I'm the princess," Anna snapped, her face glowing.

"You're a mistake," Bernard said seriously. "Just the spare if Elsa should fail as queen."

Anna fell silent, her feeling incredibly hurt. She gazed down at the carpet as they continued to walk.

"I'm more than just the spare," she said quietly.

Bernard didn't seem to hear her, for he kept strolling in stride with the princess, adjusting his sleeves. She pouted and tucked an invisible hair behind her ear.

"Uh… so what were you and Elsa talking about?" Anna tried.

"About her irrational choices," Bernard said. "I mean really, cutting ties with Weselton? How ridiculous is that?"

"We have a better partner."

"What? England? Just because that Thomas fellow has gotten your sister in a love-struck daze doesn't mean you should believe him."

"That's not true! Elsa isn't stupid!"

Bernard smiled thinly. "Stupid or not— she's no longer allowed to see him."

Anna froze, her eyes growing wider than dinner plates. She felt her heart break for Elsa and how horrible the poor queen must be feeling now. Bernard stopped walking and turned his head, raising his eyebrows at Anna.

"You're a monster," Anna growled finally. "How could you do such a thing?"

"It is in the best interest of Arendelle," Bernard said. "I wouldn't expect you to understand. You're just a silly, simple-minded girl after all. You always have been ever since you were a child."

With that, and a devilish smirk, he left. Infuriated, Anna spun on her heel and marched to the royal study, hoping that Elsa was still inside. She threw the doors open and was hit with a flurry of snow in her face. She blinked and peered into the storm. Elsa was in the middle of the room, the shattered table on her left and her shoulders heaving.

Anna called Elsa's name desperately, rushing over and facing her older sister. Elsa looked close to hot, angry tears but she calmed when she saw Anna's soft smile. The storm began to die down, her breathing slowing.

"Hey, hey," Anna soothed. "We can't have you freezing Arendelle again."

Elsa smiled wryly as the last of the storm vanished. "I know… I know, I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Anna said, hugging her sister. "Bernard's a jerk."

"What is he doing back here?" Elsa growled, clinging to Anna. "You said he left."

"I thought he was gone for good. And _good riddance! _I said to myself." The younger stepped out of the hug and sat on the window seat, Elsa remaining in the middle of the room. "I mean— he was such an awful man when we were kids. He would get mad at us when we snuck chocolate out of the kitchens."

"What about the time we rode our bike down the hallway and crashed into the armor?" Elsa added, sitting beside Anna.

"Ooh, I hated him!" Anna said, clenching her fists. "He was so mean to me when you were locked in your room. He would often prohibit me from running down the halls and all that stuff… he was glad you were gone because we couldn't cause him double trouble."

Elsa laughed. "Remember how he yelled at me when I froze the ballroom?"

Anna's smile faded and she scrunched her eyebrows together.

"No… I don't," Anna said.

"Really? You don't remember the time—? Wait…"

Elsa suddenly realized that the trolls took Anna's memory of her powers when Anna was five. Knowing if Elsa went against Bernard, he might divulge the information to her sister and cause some sort of problem between them. Elsa couldn't have that…

The princess was puzzled, observing Elsa's features. How hard she was thinking and how fast her mind was whirring. Elsa let out a sigh and closed her eyes.

"Anna, there's something I should tell you now," Elsa said slowly.

"O-okay," Anna replied.

"And you have to understand that I screwed up…"

"Elsa?"

The queen opened her eyes and smiled lovingly at her sister.

"Okay… Here it goes."

Elsa began telling her of how Anna knew of her magic long ago. She told her about the fun they had together, playing in the snow when it was hot outside, and how Anna eventually got hurt because of Elsa. She explained what the trolls did and it led to her thirteen year isolation explanation. As Elsa spoke, tears built up behind her icy eyes and the corners in the room began to freeze, the floor shining with a fine layer of ice.

All Anna could do was listen, feeling the words sink into her head and hearing how sorry Elsa was.

The queen wiped away her tears and began to apologize over and over again. Anna embraced Elsa, to her Majesty's utmost surprise, and blinked back the tears that were daring to escape. Elsa hugged her back, calming down and the snow receding.

"I wish I could remember," Anna whispered.

"I wish you could, too," Elsa agreed, giving her sister a loving squeeze.

"After all this time… It was because of me."

"No, no, Anna!"

They dropped the hug and Elsa cupped Anna's face in her hands.

"It was my fault," Elsa said, wiping away the tears Anna shed. "All my fault. I really wanted to come out and see you."

"I caused everything," Anna said.

"But you fixed it, didn't you?" Elsa reminded her. "Look at us now. Back to where we belong as sisters. As best friends."

Anna sniffled and Elsa kissed Anna's cheek. They pressed their foreheads together and gave each other watery smiles. Anna let out a long breath, trying to calm down, and let her back hit the windows. She smoothed out the folds in her dress, Elsa leaning against the wall, her legs tucked underneath each other.

Suddenly, Anna gasped and startled Elsa.

"And how _dare_ he!?" Anna shrieked. "How _dare_ Bernard ban you from seeing Thomas!"

"Oh… yeah, I know," Elsa said with a groan. "He's still in the castle so I need to tell him before Bernard finds him."

"What are we gonna do?"

Elsa was silent for a moment, considering her options.

She glanced at Anna and said, "I need you to have my back on this."

"I'll always have your back," Anna promised, giving her the thumbs up. "Just tell me what I need to do."

"I need to talk to Thomas and let him know about everything that's going to happen. Keep a look out for Bernard so we can get a warning."

"But what about when he does kick Thomas out?"

The queen ran a hand through her hair and huffed.

"I have no idea," she said. "I'll figure something out."

"You always do…"

* * *

The girls were able to make it to Elsa's private study without meeting Bernard on the way there. Anna stood watch while Elsa entered the room, Thomas still waiting for her, skimming over her childhood book. He smiled at her when she met his gaze, but it vanished when he saw how frantic she seemed.

"Are you—?"

"No… No, I'm not. Thomas, I need you to understand me. Listen closely."

Elsa took a deep breath and dived into yet another explanation all about her situation. Thomas listened, nodded and his expression transitioned from befuddled to grim to concerned and finally to horrified. Elsa was pacing as she spoke, hugging her arms to her chest. Anxious snow was falling in small amounts, getting into their hair.

"And he thinks that you're just courting me because I signed the document," Elsa said quietly.

"Elsa, that's not true!" Thomas assured, going over to her and kissing her forehead, then her cheek. "I would never imagine—"

"I know," Elsa said. "I know you wouldn't but Bernard wouldn't believe me. He's looking for you, I think, so I need you to go back to your ship… I'll figure out a way to see you but I'm really concerned about what he's gonna do to Anna if I disobey him."

"What could he possibly do?" Thomas asked, brushing some hair out of her eyes.

Elsa bit her lip, thinking hard again. What could Bernard do to Anna that would hurt her? Then she thought about Kristoff, who was still away on business. He wasn't eligible to date a princess according to tradition. Elsa didn't care whatsoever and that rule had been broken thousands of times before for generations but Bernard was a stickler for traditional values.

If he found out that Anna was dating an Ice Harvester— he would make sure she would never see him again if it was the last thing he did.

"I have an idea," Elsa said. "But I'll make sure it doesn't happen. I won't let it happen."

"What about us?" Thomas pressed.

"I'll sneak out," Elsa decided irrationally. "I'll meet up with you in secret from now on. In your ship or in the fields, I don't care but I _need_ to see you."

"_Elsa_," Anna's voice hissed. "He's coming."

"I promise to meet with you in two nights," she said to him. "Just go along with what I'm about to do."

"What are you—?"

Elsa kissed him fiercely before pulling away and slapping him across the face as soon as Bernard stepped inside. Thomas and Anna gaped at Elsa in shock, the prince rubbing his cheek.

"Elsa?"

"I told you we're through!" Elsa lied, her eyes telling him to play along. "I'll do your country a favor and keep the trade ties but I suggest you return to your ship and leave us be, Prince Thomas."

Picking up on the fib, Thomas scowled. "Fine, then. I hope Arendelle crumbles under your rule. It will be England helping _you_ and your rinky-dink kingdom in the trade."

He straightened his tail coat with dignity, sent her a shadow of a wink, and turned away. As he by passed Anna, he gave her a smile and she realized what they had done, forcing down her own smile. Elsa closed her eyes as she listened to Thomas' footsteps fade down the hall, counting them one-by-one.

"Glad you came to your senses, Elsa," Bernard said. "I was about to kick him out."

"Well, we needn't worry about him anymore," Elsa assured. "Come on, Anna. We should get to bed. I've had a long day."

"Yes, your Majesty," Anna said, following her sister to their room.

* * *

The next day was terrible for everyone. Rapunzel and Eugene were surprised that the light the castle once had was gone by the morning. It was suddenly gloomy and sleepy, the queen and princess incredibly quiet during breakfast. Anna ended up excusing herself early and decided to spend the entire day in her study and write sappy poetry until she felt better.

"What happened to this place?" Rapunzel asked. "It's as if someone covered the castle in a black drape."

"Bernard happened," Elsa said.

"Who's he?" Eugene said.

"He's this advisor my father hired when Anna and I were little. Once Anna was born, Bernard showed up and was at my father's side at all times," Elsa explained. "Bernard _hated_ Anna and I. He made it his daily goal to put us down or yell at us. I didn't hear from him once I was locked away but Anna would often complain to me he would get mad at her all the time." Elsa tapped her finger against the tabletop. "He took over Arendelle when Mama and Papa passed away. He was to remain the ruler until my coronation day and he left the day before. Why he's back, I have no idea but he is and he's making life hard for everyone."

"Sounds like a nice guy," Eugene quipped.

"Real nice," Elsa smirked. She got to her feet and rubbed her shoulder, relaxing a tense muscle. "You guys should try and coax Anna outside the study before her poetry becomes too sappy and she starts to cry over romance novels." She smiled. "She's quite something. I'll be in my study if you need me."

They nodded and Elsa went back upstairs. She sat at her desk and leaned in her chair, rubbing her tired eyes. She was not looking forward to doing more work. But with Bernard back, she was bound to be tossed in an endless sea of approvals and treaties and court documents and whatever else she would watch her father work on. Elsa hunched over her desk and began to write down some orders she needed to put in.

The drapes… Anna kept complaining about the drapes.

Someone knocked on her door but didn't wait for the okay to enter. Bernard marched inside, his face red with fury. Elsa glanced up from her work and her eyebrows inched together.

"Can I help—?"

"I demand an explanation!" he roared.

_Been giving a lot of those lately_, Elsa thought dryly. "Yes, what?"

"Of this… this… _abomination!_" Bernard grabbed something from behind the door and tossed poor Olaf into the study.

Elsa gasped, getting to her feet at once and approaching her creation.

"Olaf!" she cried.

He was so elated to see her. "Oh, Elsa! Hi!"

He picked himself up off the floor and Elsa embraced him, checking for anything that her advisor could have done to him. She pressed a cold kiss on his forehead and he gushed, whispering how much he loved her warm hugs.

"Are you okay?" she asked, smoothing down some of his snow.

"I'm good," he replied cheekily. "But I am glad to see you…" He stuck a thumb behind him. "That guy is craaaaazy."

Elsa glared at Bernard for handling her friend in such a terrible fashion. Bernard was glaring right back at her, waiting for her to tell him who this snowman was. Elsa stood, holding Olaf's twig hand in her own, protective of him.

"I made Olaf," she said. "He's a very special friend to everyone in the castle and he _stays_. He lives in the garden so you needn't worry about him bugging you. He usually keeps to himself and plays with the kids in the town."

"I see." Bernard crossed his arms. "And the two others staying in the castle?"

"Who—? Oh, you mean Rapunzel and Eugene?"

"Yes, them."

"They're my cousins," Elsa reminded him. "Mama had a sister who moved to Corona, remember?"

"Ah yes, that's right," Bernard said.

"She came to visit and I'm being a good hostess and allowing them to stay here. Don't worry, they're leaving in three days so you won't have them bothering you anymore, either," Elsa said.

"I don't mind them. They're royalty after all… from the land of Corona." He smiled wickedly again and Elsa felt her stomach turn over. What was he going to say now? "Let me tell you something about Corona, Elsa. Sit down… you should listen carefully."

Elsa hesitated but decided to listen to what he had to say. She told Olaf to go back to his igloo or find Anna and he nodded, waving goodbye cheerfully as he left. Bernard slammed the door behind the snowman, his eyes never leaving Elsa.

"What about Corona?" Elsa asked, sitting in her seat behind her desk.

"Three years ago when you were eighteen and your sister was fifteen, Corona had a huge celebration. You see, for the first time in eighteen years, their princess— Rapunzel— returned. She's only a few days younger than you are," Bernard said. "To celebrate her return, the party lasted for quite sometime. And everyone was invited. Everyone! Even your mother and father."

Color drained from Elsa's face.

"You and Anna were invited as well but they couldn't allow you two to leave the castle so they went on their own. And on the way to Corona, they were caught in that dreadful storm and were killed…"

Elsa was reminded of her parents leaving the kingdom on a long boat trip. Where they were heading, she never knew until now…

Oh, no…

So Corona was their destination. To see the return of Princess Rapunzel to her rightful family and kingdom. If the princess never went home, Elsa's parents might still be alive!

_No_, Elsa told herself. _Things happen for a reason._

She could never bring herself to be mad at Rapunzel. It wasn't her fault at all! She loved her cousin dearly and was happy that she had gotten home safe and sound. Elsa saw what Bernard was trying to do. He was trying to get her enraged, step out of her boundary line and threaten him. He was just waiting for the opportune moment to strike and do whatever he was going to do to Anna.

Why he was, Elsa couldn't figure out but she was done with him.

"Get out of my sight," Elsa snarled.

* * *

That evening, Elsa was in her room trying to plan how she was going to meet up with Thomas the next night. As she wrote a strategy, she heard a blood curdling scream come from downstairs. Flabbergasted, she looked up from her work, wondering who in the world could shout so horridly. Footsteps approached the door and they were thrown open, a wide-eyed and shellshocked Princess Anna standing in the doorway.

"It's gone!" she wailed.

"What's gone?" Elsa said.

"All of it! It's gone! Away! Nowhere to be found—!"

"Whoa, whoa!" Elsa said, standing and grabbing Anna by the shoulders. "Slow down. Breathe, breathe. Speak slowly."

"Our chocolate supply!" Anna spilled, desperately staring at Elsa.

"_What!?_"

They ran downstairs together, faster than their legs have ever carried them before. They ended up tripping over their dresses (and each other) and tumbling by one another, crashing to the landing. Elsa flew to her feet and jumped over her little sister, groaning on the floor from the unintentional race. She followed Elsa, clutching her bruised elbow and slumping down to the kitchens.

The girls burst through the doors and the chefs watched, bewildered, as they searched through every pantry, hunting for their beloved chocolate stash.

"Find it!?" Anna cried.

"No! It's not in our usual pantry!" Elsa called back, dropping to her knees and frantically tearing through the items and praying for her sweets to call her name.

"Oh, no! The chefs didn't toss them, did they?" Anna said, whirling her head around at the chefs in the room. "Anyone?"

They all shook their heads and one spoke up.

"Your Highness, we know that you and her Majesty keep it safe in your personal cupboard," he assured her.

"Well, someone had to have taken it!" Elsa said. "Who in the world would—?"

She froze and locked eyes with Anna. In an instant, they both knew what the other was thinking.

"Bernard," they growled in unison.

They marched upstairs again, snow following Elsa's trail. Together they reached the royal study and Elsa sent a powerful breeze towards the door, tossing it open. Bernard casually glanced up from his work, his eyes lidded, as they stormed over to him.

"Where is it!?" Anna shouted.

"Where is what?" Bernard replied coolly.

"Mine and Anna's chocolate supply," Elsa said. "It's gone."

"What makes you think that I took it?" he said.

"We _know_ you took it," Anna snarled, getting into his face. "You don't understand how important that is to us!"

"It's our coping food," Elsa said. "It helps us through a lot."

Bernard switched his gaze from princess to queen and back again. Then he wrote again, still addressing them in a monotone.

"It's unhealthy," he said flatly.

"Unhealthy!" Anna repeated. "It's not like we eat it everyday!"

Elsa glanced guiltily to the floor. Lately, she's been indulging in the candy more often then Anna was aware of. Neither of the others noticed so Bernard responded to Anna's comment.

"Whatever the case, I got rid of it."

His eyes flickered over to the roaring fire. Both the sisters whipped their heads toward the flames. Anna staggered over to the grate and collapsed to her knees, her eyes tearing up dramatically.

"I… I can still smell the chocolate!" Anna cried out. "No!" She pounded the wooden floor beneath her. "Why is the world so cruel!?"

Elsa gently grabbed her sister's arm and yanked her off the ground. She glared daggers in Bernard's direction and snarled deeply.

"You're a monster."

"So I've been told," he said plainly. "Good day to you."

Elsa led a quivering Anna out of the study, promising her to go shopping to replace their melted and vanquished chocolate.

She also made a mental note to get that fireplace scrubbed down to avoid ants.

* * *

**YOU GUYS WERE EXPECTING HANS (or the Duke). HAHAAA!**

**That's terrific. Nope, rest assured Prince Hans of the Southern Isles is earning quite the talking-to from his older brothers.**

**So, people want to see Thomas. I'll try to upload it on my Tumblr as soon as I can. I'll let ya'll know so you can see him!**

**Send in songs! What I'm looking for in a song is in the top Author's Note.**

**See you next time!**


	10. Chapter 10: Plotting Some Chaos

**Welcome back!**

**I'll be putting in a song in this chapter, written by the fantastic ASianSuccessor2012 once again. They wrote "Who We Are Meant to Be" for our three girls. Now they wrote a song for Elsa to sing to Anna. Why? You'll see!**

**I'm still looking for: a ballad between Thomas and Elsa (similar to "As Long As You're Mine" from Wicked), and a song for Elsa about the work she has to do as a queen.**

**And a lot of you are like, why doesn't Elsa fire Bernard? I'm getting to that! I promise you'll see the reasoning. I'm gonna post Thomas's picture by the end of this week so follow me on Tumblr (athpluver) to see it!**

**Disclaimer: Disney owns FROZEN and "The Starlight's Lullaby" belongs to ASianSuccessor2012**

* * *

Elsa was finding it impossible to sleep. Lying on her back in bed, facing the canopy and listening to the ticking of the clock. Her mind was whirring with ways to get herself out of this horrible situation, to get out of Bernard's grasp. The moon was casting its light on the blankets covering the two figures underneath. Anna was curled up in Elsa's side, snoring softly, her face slightly pink from Elsa's cold complexion. The queen sighed and closed her eyes, begging for sleep so she could drift away from reality until morning came.

The princess shifted in her slumber and wrapped an arm around Elsa's waist, mumbling incoherently. Elsa opened her eyes and peeked at Anna. What was Bernard planning on doing to her little sister if she refused to cooperate? And why couldn't she work up the guts to tell him to leave?

Anna snored a little louder than usual and woke herself up, blinking blearily and adjusting to the darkness of the room. She met Elsa's eyes and smiled sleepily.

"Is it morning yet?" Anna yawned.

Elsa shook her head.

"Oh…"

Elsa turned so she was lying on her side, looking into Anna's freckled face, mirroring the princess's position. She tucked some hair behind Anna's ear affectionately.

"I'm so done with everything," Elsa whispered. "I want to get rid of him."

"Why can't you? You're the _queen_ after all," Anna reminded her.

"I… can't do anything," Elsa admitted.

"What are you talking about?"

"Anna, if I could kick him out, I would but Papa hired him for a very specific reason. I can't get rid of him until—"

"Are you really going to try and lie to me?"

Elsa blinked and Anna smirked, raising an eyebrow. The queen smiled and giggled under her breath, guilt stretching her features.

"You caught me," she said.

"What's the _real_ reason," Anna asked seriously.

"I have to wait until he's finished his service," Elsa mumbled. "And among other things…"

"Wait, what?" Anna furrowed her brows. "Service?"

"He was hired at a certain time— Kai's figuring that out as we speak but Bernard's records are missing at the moment— and he was supposed to be excused on my coronation day because he was only a temporary ruler." Elsa rubbed her temple, feeling a migraine creep up on her. "Since Papa closed the gates, he ended up just becoming the figurehead of the kingdom while Bernard did all the outside work. So there's more than just service. In fact, I could kick him out if it was just for the first reason. My concern is that he'll stop providing for the people and sever ties that keeps everyone safe. He has ties that can either help or destroy the city. I'm thinking of my citizens until I can figure out how to rid Arendelle of him."

Anna toyed with Elsa's hand, tracing her palm with her finger.

"But he's the Royal Advisor!" Anna said stubbornly. "What power does he have!?"

"Enough to make sure I can't do my job," Elsa said sadly, biting her lip.

"But, Elsa—?"

"Please, try to understand that _I_ don't have the power to stop him until Kai finds out when he should have been excused. I'm trying. Really, I am but…" Elsa squeezed Anna's hand and gave her a pleading expression. "It's harder than it looks."

Anna closed her mouth, about to retaliate. She wanted to input her opinion but Bernard's voice echoed in her head. About her being the spare, the mistake of the family, and the one who was simple-minded. Anna desperately wanted to confront Elsa on this and see if it was true but she decided against it.

The queen was falling asleep right before her eyes and Anna didn't want to disturb her. So she followed Elsa example and drifted back asleep, letting her mind float away into the land of dreams.

* * *

Early that morning, Elsa had Anna in her arms, her chin resting on top of Anna's head. Her hair was disheveled but not as crazy as it usually got in the morning. Anna's face was in the crook of Elsa's neck, which wasn't the most comfortable position for the queen but she didn't complain.

The morning sun was barely rising over the fjords, the day waking up slowly. The birds were chirping outside, singing joyfully to the people of Arendelle. If one listened hard enough, they could hear the ocean crash against the wooden exterior of the docked ships, the call of the seagulls swooping down on fishermen and their latest catch.

It was such a peaceful—

_Wham!_

The doors of the bedroom flew open and in stepped Bernard, checking his pocket watch and humming to himself. He had to wake Elsa and talk to her about a few… things…

His eyes widened as he realized what was before his eyes. Elsa and Anna, cuddled up together in Elsa's bed, sleeping soundly and tired smiles on their faces.

How inappropriate!

Seething, he marched over to the bed and cleared his throat loudly, waking the queen from her pleasant dreams.

"Hng? Bernard?" she grumbled, cracking her eyes open. "What are you doing here?"

"What is_ she_ doing here?" Bernard growled, pointing at the princess, who was still sleeping.

"She sleeps in here every once in a while," Elsa said. "Now, go away, please. I sleep in until—"

"No, this is unacceptable," he snapped. "I can't allow this to continue."

"What are you—?"

Without explanation, Bernard yanked Anna's arm up, causing her to wake and yelp with surprised. He forcefully dragged her off the bed, some of her hair getting caught in his grasp. Elsa gasped and tried to grab Anna back but she was taken away too quickly.

"Ow, ow! Hey!" Anna shouted. "Stop it! This hurts!"

"Let her go!" Elsa cried, sitting up onto her knees.

Bernard didn't listen. He started to drag Anna out, saying something along the lines of moving Anna to a different room. As Anna let out a painful shriek, her hair getting pulled gracelessly, Elsa's instincts kicked in and her eyes became alight.

"_I SAID LET HER GO!_" she screamed, her muscles clenching and her teeth bared.

She shot her hand forward and an icicle flew inches by Bernard's ear, slicing it ever-so-slightly. Elsa was breathing hard, pent up fury towards this man releasing. He turned his grey eyes on her, his teeth bared dangerously.

"What did I say about threatening—?" he began but she cut him off.

"Put. Her. Down. Now," she said darkly, getting off the bed, her hand still extended. "Or I won't miss this time."

Fear flickered in his eyes and he dropped Anna's arm. The princess rubbed her head where she had been yanked, glancing from Bernard to Elsa and holding her breath. Who was going to speak first? The room was heavy with Elsa's threat and the dangerous chill she was creating. She was dead serious. More serious than Anna had ever seen her before.

"Don't you ever touch her again," Elsa snarled. "Do you understand me? _Never_ again."

Bernard folded his hands behind his back, his face set in a deep scowl. He backed out of the room, informing the girls that breakfast was ready, and turning away. Elsa swiped her hand in front of her and the doors slammed shut, her cheeks burning. The queen dropped to her knees and frantically started to search Anna for any signs of harm.

"Elsa… Elsa, hey listen to— I'm fine. _Elsa!_" Anna stuttered, trying to sooth her sister. "Really, I'm okay now."

"Are you sure?" Elsa asked.

Anna smiled. "I got a pretty good head on my shoulders. I'm fine, I promise."

Elsa kissed the spot Bernard hurt, smoothing down Anna's unruly hair.

"Do something about your rat's nest, young lady," Elsa instructed. "I need to have a word with the staff before the day starts."

"Yes, ma'am," Anna said, getting to her feet and pulling Elsa up with her. "What can I do?"

"I don't care. As long as it makes Bernard unhappy," Elsa said with a wink. "You can join us in the meeting hall if you wish and get some ideas for pranks…"

Anna grinned and an evil gleam sparkled in her eyes. The princess saluted and bowed deeply before bounding to her vanity and tackling her hair.

* * *

The meeting hall was never used by Elsa since the death of the King and Queen. It had been kept clean and dusted, the chairs all pushed into the long table. Hans had used it to speak with the ambassadors and the Duke of Weselton during the Eternal Winter. Otherwise, it remained untouched by both the Snow Queen and the princess. So it was a surprise to Gerda and Kai when Elsa requested the main staff members to meet her in the hall.

The servants entered quietly and cautiously. They were led by Gerda, as head of the maids and Kai, who was still the head butler. First after the two was Colby the royal tailor: a young, thin man with large glasses and incredible sewing skills. He fashioned numerous of Anna and Elsa's dresses when their parents passed; including Elsa's coronation dress. Then there was Daniel the head chef: a tall man with hands quick as lightning when he touched a blade. He was most famous in the castle for his beef stews.

Third was Nora, a short middle-aged woman, the royal interior decorator who moved Elsa out of Anna's room and back in again. She was getting ready to help Elsa redecorate the throne room when the time was right. Then there was Lars, the head of the guards. He was a tall, brooding man with a rugged face. He was very handsome and popular with some of the younger maids around the palace. Finally Agnes, the royal record keeper. A plump woman who had bypassed her fellow students in Arithmetic when she was in secondary school.

Elsa was at the head of the table, sitting down, Anna standing to her right. Elsa looked serious— more so than usual. And Anna's expression was grim so that was a big shock to everybody in the room. The queen was in a dress similar to her late mother's, her crown poised on her head, her platinum hair in a tight bun. Anna's hair was done up as it had been the night of Elsa's coronation and her dress was a deep olive color, like the one she wore the day she gave Kristoff his sled.

They all waited permission to sit, watching the royal sisters intently. Never in their lives did they expect to see them so regal.

"You may be seated," said Elsa.

Everyone moved to their seats, straight-backed and ready for their orders. Elsa cleared her throat and began.

"As you all know, Bernard has returned to the kingdom of Arendelle. Why? We have no idea… but we need to rid the place of him," Elsa said, folding her hands in her lap and skimming the group with her cold eyes. "Kai—"

"Yes, your Majesty?" he said.

"Have you gotten any information on Bernard's agreement with my father?"

"No, you Majesty. Agnes and I have been searching all we can," Kai said, shifting in his seat. "I'm not quite sure I understand why you haven't kicked him out yourself…"

All eyes turned to Elsa. Anna didn't look down at her sister, keeping her gaze focused on the door in case Bernard were to barge inside.

"It all has to do with politics," Elsa said with a wry smile. "Believe me, I am very aware that my position as a monarch holds more power over him. But Bernard is a sneaky man and will go to any means that will get him his way. If I were to fire him, he could use whatever information he has gained to bring Arendelle down with him."

"I assure you, Queen Elsa, that Bernard hasn't gone through any of the records," piped up Agnes.

"That's not true," Anna spoke up. "Just because it seems like he hasn't, doesn't mean he already did."

"I'm sorry?" Agnes said, blinking.

"Bernard is known to have a brilliant memory," Anna continued. "Papa hired him for a specific reason when I was born."

"Because we had a second daughter in the family," Elsa chimed in, "Papa was going to be very busy helping Mama for a while. Bernard was someone he believed he could trust with documents and recite them without fail to his Majesty when the day was done, if Papa didn't reach the study at all in that time period. And for a time, Bernard was very useful until I was locked away."

"So Bernard could have easily read all the information regarding Arendelle," Lars said, leaning back in his chair. "I see the predicament you're in, your Majesty, but can't we lock him up?"

Anna tore her gaze away from the door to look at Elsa finally. The queen was considering it, her eyes drifting over to the captain of the guards. Lars sat up at once as soon as he realized she was going to address him.

"You think it could be that easy?" Elsa said. "We can't let him rot. I'm not a ruthless ruler."

"No— ah, your Majesty, that isn't what I—" Lars tried but he ended up cutting himself off by stuffing his hand in his mouth.

"Wasn't it Bernard who asked for the design of the prisons down there in the first place?" asked Nora.

Elsa nodded darkly. "I know that all too well." She glanced down at her hands and could almost feel the metal clamps over them again; Hans leaving the room and a snowstorm swirling outside.

"It doesn't matter what he did," Gerda said. "What matters is that we get him out of here! Oh, he was an awful man. Still is. Your Majesty— are you sure you can't risk—?"

"I'm _not_ risking anything with him," Elsa said sternly. "We don't know what he's capable of."

"Queen Elsa, if I may suggest that—" started Colby but Daniel butt in.

"Hold on, now! What about his rules having to do with the sweets?" he barked. "Your Highness, your Majesty— I told him you no longer had a chocolate stock but he won't let it go. My head is on the line here!"

"I assure you that he won't kick you out," Kai said. "He doesn't have that much power."

"Yeah but he's trying to put in a request to move her Majesty the Queen out of the princess's room!" Nora cried. "I could never—"

"Then don't!" Lars said, waving her off. "Don't listen to the rat. Our first priority is to help the queen."

"Right but if we just—" Colby tried again.

"No, no!" Agnes said, clutching her temple. "He'll figure things out. If he had the slightest idea what we're doing—"

"Oh my," Elsa said to Anna as they watched their staff start to bicker. "This wasn't my intent at all."

Anna cleared her throat but none of them turned to look at her. They kept arguing and insisting and shouting, their tempers rising. Elsa plugged her ears as Anna breathed in and shouted at them.

"_ENOUGH!_" yelled the princess, shutting everyone up.

The servants flushed and sunk into their seats, feeling ashamed and embarrassed. Elsa removed her fingers from her ears and stood up, moving towards the window. Clouds were starting to form beyond the fjords. Maybe a summer rain was going to visit… or maybe it was Elsa's nerves getting the better of her again. She placed her hands behind her back and sighed.

The drapes came to mind again… Anna and the drapes… did she get that taken care of yet?

"I need to wait until Princess Rapunzel and Prince Eugene leave the kingdom before I can act," she said. "We can't have our family witness horrendous conditions in our home. It would be most unsightly and shameful."

"What do you suggest, your Majesty?" Kai said.

"Elsa and I want to cause hell," Anna said, finally smiling. Elsa smiled, too, but didn't let the others see.

"Beg pardon?" Colby said, raising his eyebrows.

"You heard me," Anna said. "While we figure out a way to get rid of Bernard and manage to keep our kingdom's supply and demand safe, we need to give Bernard one awful return back to Arendelle."

"And that's where you come in," Elsa said, turning around and sitting back down. "I can't have Bernard getting too suspicious so I need Gerda and Kai to keep up on your usual duties." Said servants nodded. "Colby, I want you to tweak the lengths of Bernard's coats. Too long, too short. Go crazy." Elsa smirked at herself. "He gets so heated over the littlest things that it will bother him more than it should. Daniel, be creative with the cooking for Bernard." She sent the chef a wink and Daniel grinned. "Nora, really tick him off when you redesign my throne room."

"We want everything to be ice-themed," Anna jumped in. "And be sure there's a tapestry of both Elsa and I."

Nora smiled. "I understand, your Highness."

"Lars, I need your guards to be on alert at all times," Elsa said. "But if you should see Anna or I leaving the castle, make no note of it and don't alert him."

"Got it, your Majesty." Lars saluted with two fingers.

"Agnes, switch out some of the information," Elsa said. "Keep the original copies in a safe place but if we really want to screw with his head…" The queen trailed off, leaving it up for the imagination of the record keeper.

"Oh yes, your Majesty," Agnes said, her plump face glowing with excitement.

"Will this be enough?" Anna said. "If he figures out that we're causing him trouble…"

"He might figure it out but let's not worry about it now. Everyone has to spread out their trouble," Elsa instructed. "Until Kai finds the right information for us to get rid of him, keep at it."

Everyone made a gesture or a noise that told her they understood. Anna and Elsa exchanged smiles.

"You are dismissed," Anna said.

The servants stood, bowed, and left the royal sisters alone. Elsa let out a long breath and her back hit the chair. Anna was squirming with pent up mischief.

"I can't believe we're really doing this!" she squealed. "Ooh, Elsa, everyone is on board. This is great!"

"I can't wait to see how this will turn out," Elsa said.

"Now what about you and Thomas?" Anna questioned as Elsa got to her feet.

The two headed out into the hallway together, stepping in perfect stride alongside the other. Elsa rubbed the back of her neck, trying to rid herself of that tense muscle. Anna clutched Elsa's arm with her hands.

"I'm seeing him tonight," Elsa said. "We're going to meet up and talk about further plans. Both political _and_ romantic, if you must know."

Anna giggled.

"If Bernard is so keen on getting Weselton back as a trade partner, I'm going to have to speak to Thomas about a back up plan for England," Elsa mused.

"And if Bernard is unsuccessful?"

"Then there wouldn't be a need for a plan and we would keep the same trade agreement with England as we signed on."

"I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with," Anna said, clapping her hands. "He's gonna wish he never came back to Arendelle!"

* * *

When evening fell, Elsa was braiding her hair as she got ready to meet Thomas. Anna was sitting at the window, watching the kingdom slow its pace. The sky was streaked with purples and oranges, the hue peaceful and calming. The princess was frowning, however, no matter how relaxing the sky appeared to be. She was still fixed on the comment Bernard had made to her the other day…

"You're a mistake," Bernard had said seriously. "Just the spare if Elsa should fail as queen."

She still wanted to ask Elsa about it. If Elsa thought that Anna was just the spare, the missing button on a coat, the rusty horseshoe on the barn door… the extra that nobody needed and eventually tossed to the side.

Elsa noticed her sister's slumped position, finishing her braid and holding it in place with a snowflake clip. She stood and moved over to Anna, tapping her shoulder and catching her attention.

"What's wrong?" Elsa said, growing concerned.

"Elsa… am I a ruler?" Anna said quietly, toying with her fingers.

"What?"

"Or am I just a spare?"

Elsa stared at her, her eyebrows furrowing with confusion. Where did this come from?

"Why do you ask?" Elsa said, sitting next to Anna and placing her hand gently on her shoulder. "What's the problem?"

Anna bit her lip and looked into Elsa's eyes.

"Am I just the spare?" Anna repeated. "Just your back up? The mistake?"

"What? Anna, no! No, no, no," Elsa said, giving her little sister a smile. "Not at all! Whatever gave you that idea?"

"Bernard said—"

"Oh, don't listen to him," Elsa scolded softly.

"But he's right!" Anna sniffed. "I mean, I have no say. I don't have much authority around here."

"That's not true," Elsa assured.

"Maybe I wasn't mean to be born—"

"_Anna!_" Elsa said sternly. "Don't you _ever_ say that again."

The princess closed her eyes, feeling ashamed.

"Sorry," she whispered.

"I couldn't imagine a world without you in it," Elsa said. "And you are important to me. To everyone. Don't forget that."

Anna still wasn't convinced, her nose scrunched up with sadness. Elsa lifted Anna's face up to meet her eyes again, starting to sing softly.

Elsa:

_Look at the sky  
__The moon is out tonight  
__And the stars are shining up above on you-know-who_

Elsa tapped Anna's nose and the princess smiled slightly.

_Imagine a night without a cloud still drifting by  
__As the moon reveals her gleam  
__Waiting 'til you dream_

_There are people near and far  
__Who are wondering what they are  
__They will never learn to see  
__If they never will believe_

"Anna, you need to understand that you are one of those people that give life," Elsa said softly. "One of those special people who can look up at the stars and think… wow, I'm lucky to be alive."

"But, Elsa… what does that have to do with my power?"

"Do you seriously care about power?"

Anna shook her head.

"Then what does it matter?" Elsa asked.

"I just want to have an equal say."

"You _have_ a say, most definitely. But you're special in your own way. Being all-powerful isn't fun and games. You're _you_."

"And that's what matters," Anna finished.

"That's right," Elsa approved and kept on singing.

_There are miracles that come from above  
__With a beauty undiscovered yet made with love  
__There's a gift in everyone  
__Under the stars and sun  
__But the greatest gift of all will come  
__When a new day has begun_

Anna's smile grew and she suddenly felt silly for being so concerned about her place. Elsa was right, she was her own person and that made her special. Elsa embraced her sister and kissed her forehead.

"Anna, I promise you… I would be so lost if it wasn't for you," she said. "Your place doesn't have to be the expected."

"Thank you, Elsa," Anna replied.

"I love you. Remember that," Elsa said.

"I will. I love you, too."

The queen stood and Anna followed. They moved to the middle of the room until Anna decided to flop down on her bed. Elsa kept going, ready to head out and meet Thomas. As she placed her hand on the doorknob, Anna spoke up.

"Thank you for everything," Anna said. "I don't know how I got such a wonderful sister like you."

"Life's too short to miss out on a sister like _you_," Elsa said. "Good night."

"See you when you get back!"

Elsa left Anna in the room and made her way out the castle as quietly as she could. She reached the docks and found Thomas' ship, the British flag flapping in the salty breeze. Water was slapping against the boat as it moaned and groaned with the weight of ship hands and maintenance workers. Thomas was on the deck, talking to the captain in a stern voice.

"I said it should be running by then!" Thomas said, poking the captain in the chest.

"You Highness, I assure you that we're doing everything we…" The captain trailed off when he spotted Elsa walk on board.

Thomas turned with a scowl, wondering who decided to bother him, but it melted as soon as he saw it was Elsa. She crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows.

"Am I interrupting something?" she said.

"No… no, ah," Thomas cleared his throat. "I was just finishing up here, Elsa. Be right with you…" He glared at the captain. "See that my orders are carried out."

"Yes, sir," the captain bowed.

Thomas nodded in approval and followed Elsa off the ship. Together they walked through the town and into the hills, hand-in-hand. They sat at the same spot they had the day of Elsa's first kiss, leaning their shoulders on one another. Elsa sighed and ran a hand through her bangs.

"How're things going on in the castle?" he said.

"Ugh… It's getting out of hand," she replied. "Bernard is causing so much trouble but we're figuring out a way to get rid of him."

"You can't simply—?"

"No… no, there are political reasons." Elsa took his hand in hers and traced his palm lines, like Anna sometimes did with Elsa's. "He wants to get Weselton back as a trade partner and drop England entirely."

Thomas' eyes widened. "_What?_ You _can't_ be serious."

"I'm managing to keep that stalling right now," Elsa said. "We'll be able to continuing being trade partners for as long as I'm around. He can't reverse the signing but he can find other ways to make sure the agreement is destroyed."

"I'm sorry things are going bad," he sympathized.

Elsa smiled up at him. "I wish I could see you without being afraid of getting caught."

"Romeo and Juliet romances are often the most exciting," he supplied.

"I don't… I don't think that's what we're going through," Elsa giggled. "But for lack of a better term—" She teasingly messed up his hair. "—I'll go with it."

"Good," he grinned.

They laughed, intertwining their fingers together. The two decided to hike up a little more until they reached flat ground. Thomas dragged Elsa up by the hand, making her stumble over her feet as they ran, giggling and being dorky. She tripped with the grace of her sister but was caught by Thomas. He kissed her quickly and smirked.

"Careful, your Majesty," he said. "We can't have you dirtying up your dress, now."

"Good catch, Prince Thomas," she said, standing straight. "Try it again!"

"What are you talking about?"

Elsa rushed by him, hitting flat ground and taking off her shoes. Thomas realized that she was taunting him by running off and he grinned goofily. He followed her and took off his shoes, chasing her around the trees, their laughter filling the growing night. He ended up catching her from the back and twirling her around. Elsa let out a yelp of surprise but it turned into a gleeful shriek, yelling at him to put her down.

She was having so much fun letting go of her stuffy stature. The way Thomas brought out her younger side was something she was loving more and more as they continued their games. She ended up slamming a snowball in his face so he could let her go. She started to chase him around, flicking her fingers at his ankles and sending out little bursts of snow.

"That's unfair!" he shouted.

"Too bad! This is what happens when you mess with the true queen of the ice and snow!" she countered.

He came to an abrupt halt and caused her to slam into him. He caught her hand swiftly, winking at her. Elsa blushed, realizing that he had tricked her into falling.

"Got you again," he teased.

"Shut up, Thomas," she said, blowing a raspberry.

He pulled her up and kissed her, refusing to let her go. Elsa smiled against his lips and deepened it, pulling him closer.

Her stomach was full of butterflies. She was so glad her fear of being close to someone else was fading away. Being with Thomas was amazing and he was so loving and caring towards her.

It was scary, sure, but it was intoxicating.

When they parted the kiss, they kept their eyes closed and leaned their foreheads against one another. Thomas caressed her cheeks and smiled.

"I missed you," he said.

"You're funny," she snickered. "You saw me a few days ago."

"I still missed you," he said, kissing her nose. "Didn't you miss me?"

"…Yeah."

He laughed.

"Silly girl," he said with an endearing chuckle. "C'mon, love, we should go back before you get in trouble."

"You're right," she said regretfully.

They collected their shoes and made their way back down to Arendelle, hands clasped together once again. They put their shoes back on once they reached the cobblestone streets and let go of each other's hands so they could walk without gaining attention. They reached the docks and gave each other a swift kiss.

"I'll see you in two days, okay?" she said.

"Looking forward to it," he said.

"I wish it didn't have to be this way," she whispered.

"It won't be forever," he said, kissing her forehead. "See you soon."

"Bye." She waved him off and watched him board his ship.

Elsa sighed and returned to the castle, reaching her room without causing a disturbance. Lars had spotted her and gave her a nod, winking at her and showing he was on her side one-hundred-percent. Elsa shut the door to her room behind her, Anna snoring on top of the covers with a book over her face. She must have fallen asleep reading and waiting for her sister to come home.

The queen smiled and approached Anna, waking her up gently.

"Whasgoinon?" Anna mumbled, removing the book from her head. "Elsa? Oh, welcome back."

"How long was I gone?" Elsa asked, removing her cape.

"Oh, a couple of hours," Anna said with a huge yawn. "But it's cool. I was planning on going to bed once I finished this chapter… then the next… then the next…" She sent Elsa a guilty smile. "It's a really good book and I got caught up in it."

Elsa stepped behind her changing screen and removed her dress, pulling on her nightgown. When she walked back out, Anna had changed into her nightgown as well, yawning and collapsing back on her bed, smiling into the soft bedspread.

"I hope we'll get things sorted out soon," she said, crawling into her covers. "And I hope Kristoff comes home. He'll know what to do."

Elsa had to bite her tongue, trying not to tell Anna that Bernard would prevent the relationship between Anna and Kristoff. She would let Anna live blissfully until Kristoff got back, resolve the problem, and explain the man's position to the advisor. She slipped into her own bed and closed her eyes.

Her migraine was inching forward again and she grumbled into her pillow. Stress was weighing down on her and the euphoria she had gained from being around Thomas was slowly dissipating.

So many things to figure out… so many things to do…

* * *

**There you have it! There's the reason Bernard can't just be tossed out. Elsa has to use her head and think about her people.**

**Did any of you get the references to the original songs? When Anna thinks of the things she is compared to Elsa like a button and horseshoe and being a "spare" is from the song "More Than Just the Spare" and when Elsa says that life is too short to miss out on a sister like Anna, that's from the "Life's Too Short." Both of them are from the original ideas for frozen and slipped into the story.**

**If you have songs, send them in! I **_**NEED**_** a love ballad! It's needed in a couple of chapters and I would love to see what you guys come up with.**

**Thomas will be up soon. I might even toss in a pic of him with Elsa! Would you like that? Follow my Tumblr (athpluver) to see him!**

**See you next time!**


	11. Chapter 11: Goodbye, Rapunzel

**MY LOVELIES!**

**I'm so sorryyyyyyyyyyy. I have left you hanging for far too long. What kind of person am I? Terrible, that's what. You guys, I'm really super sorry. Gah! Wow… okay.**

**Ahem.**

**This is a song chapter, like **_**many**_** of the others and I think it will be the second to last (maybe third to last) song. For those of you who wrote the Elsa Queen song, JediMayukiDaAWESOME, and Anna Love song, PurplePenguin12MI, I might just use those in another story that follows this one—**

**Wait, what? I didn't say anything!**

**Again, the amazing writer ASianSuccessor2012 had created a gorgeous song that the cousins sing together "Never a Goodbye (We'll Meet Again Sometime)."**

**Disclaimer: Disney owns FROZEN and ASianSuccessor2012 owns "Never a Goodbye (We'll Meet Again Sometime)."**

* * *

The castle was quiet as the month of August inched closer. Bernard seemed to have gained a strong hold on everything he could lay his hands on. Poor Elsa was trying her best to maintain control without enraging him and possibly cause harm to her sister and kingdom. He was dangling the two over her head in her dreams, a menacing grin splaying across his face, sitting on a throne made of thorns, and a crown on top of his head. Elsa was always on her knees in front of him in these occurring nightmares, her hands chained and the room unbearably hot. She had no idea what these dreams meant but they almost always made her wake up in a cold sweat, chest heaving.

She was begging, pleading, to Kai and Agnes to find out what she could to do sever his ties and divulge his own secrets. The butler and the record keeper were getting nowhere, apologizing for not doing their job right. Elsa would say that wasn't true and tell them that she knew they were doing their best.

It was getting much darker along the corridors now because of the departing of Rapunzel was that evening. Elsa and Anna were both sad that their cousin was going to be leaving so soon. The Princess of Corona, however, promised to send an invite to her big birthday event the next summer.

As the last morning of Rapunzel's stay began, Elsa and Anna were sharing mugs of hot chocolate on their window sill, watching the sunrise. It was the first of August and they continued their childhood tradition of watching the month arrive, the sun peeking over the mighty mountains beyond. Elsa had locked the door so they wouldn't be disturbed by Bernard anytime soon.

"A month…" Anna mused quietly, her finger tracing the rim of her mug. "A month since we've been together again."

Elsa smiled serenely and gazed fondly at her baby sister.

"Yeah. And so much has happened since," Elsa said with a little laugh. "Time moves fast and a lot can take effect."

"Indeed," Anna replied cheekily. "I'm glad we're doing this again." She gestured out to the fjords and the rising sun. "I remember when we would sit together and watch the sunrise each month. It was something I always looked forward to."

Elsa leaned against the wall, her toes touching Anna's, so she was mirroring her position. Their heads were facing the windows, the sun starting to fully shine over the mountain tops. The people down in the towns were leaving home, kids rushing off to play with one another and enjoy their last month of summer, and adults heading to work. Elsa felt her heart swell with the monarch affection towards her citizens, praying silently that whatever Bernard had in mind to harm them would never come to pass.

Him again… He kept crossing her mind and she wanted it to stop. It was making her anxiety grow each passing second his malicious grin would find her thoughts and invade without invitation. Elsa grumbled to herself in a random language and rubbed her eye with the heel of her hand. Anna looked up from her drink and furrowed her brows.

"Excuse me?" Anna said.

"Hm?" Elsa peeked at her with the one eye she wasn't rubbing.

"You just said 'he's a moron' in French," Anna told her, breaking into a grin.

Elsa grinned back. "Did I? I didn't even realize." She dropped her hand to her side and sighed heavily. "I've been thinking about what to do with Bernard and it's bugging the heck out of me."

"My pranks don't seem to be getting to him," Anna huffed, glaring out the window. "I sent fake invitations to countries that don't exist but… he's smarter than he looks."

Elsa giggled. "Try a little harder. But I hear that Colby has been tweaking his tunics and such. But Bernard is such a hard head that he won't complain about his tight sleeves and collars." She took a deep sip of her drink. "Then he tried to yell at Lars to give him records of the incoming visitors but he won't give them up… and Daniel is taking care to give Bernard some… interesting food selections."

"And Nora?"

"Nora and I still discussing the throne room. Rest assured, there _will_ be a tapestry of you and I in there."

"Are you sure?"

"Anna, you're my sister. My right hand in every decision I will make until the day my time as queen runs out…"

Anna felt goosebumps crawl over her skin at the very thought of losing her sister but didn't say anything. Instead, she sent Elsa a thankful smile. They fell silent once more and turned their attention back out to the sun, now just barely hanging over the fjord.

After their mugs were empty, the girls changed and got down to their daily business. They ate their breakfast with Rapunzel and Eugene, Kristoff still on his long ice harvest trip, and Elsa brought up their next destination after Arendelle.

"We'll be heading to visit my friend in Scotland," Rapunzel reminded her. "DunBroch is actually a lovely place to visit. Very cultural and busy. The men there are uh…" She glanced at her husband. "Interesting."

He laughed. "That's one way to put it."

"Well, I wish you both safe travels," Elsa said, nodding her head politely.

Anna eyed her sister nervously. She knew exactly why Elsa was acting so cordial and genial, her smile queen-like and thin. Elsa was trying not to show how sad she was to see her cousin go. Rapunzel was the closest the sisters had to family besides each other, both girls missing their parents very much. Sure, they had Kristoff and Olaf and Sven but they didn't hold the same meaning the girls had craved for three years.

Eugene stood up and patted Rapunzel on the shoulder affectionately. "I'm going to finish packing."

"But we're not leaving until the late afternoon," Rapunzel said, raising her eyebrows.

"Rapunzel, all your dresses will take forever to pack neatly," he grinned. "See you guys at lunch, then."

He waved as he left, the princess of Corona shaking her head at him. She smiled wistfully and leaned her cheek on her hand.

"How did I fall in love with someone like him?" she quipped dreamily. She sent her cousins a wide smile that quickly became contagious. The upset tension that was weighing down on the sisters lifted. "So what's the plan for today?" Rapunzel continued.

"Elsa has some things to take care of so I'm taking you out to get your flowers and another dress," Anna piped up. "Then we'll be back for lunch. After that, a snowball fight and then… who knows!" She shrugged joyfully and took a sip out of her tea.

"You're leaving before dinner?" Elsa said.

"Oh… yeah," Rapunzel nodded. "If we want to get out to sea and make it to DunBroch by this weekend, we have to leave then."

"I see."

"But I'm going to be sure to get us all together again!" Rapunzel promised, crossing her heart. "My birthday will be the date… although that won't be until next summer but, hey, it'll come quicker than expected."

* * *

Just as she said, Anna took Rapunzel out on the town. They shopped for just about everything that caught Rapunzel's eye. They returned to the castle thirty minutes before lunch with baskets full of dresses, chocolates, flowers, and parchment. The girls were pink-faced with excitement and panting from the hot summer afternoon. They exchanged breathless smiles as the heralds took the items up to Rapunzel's room, where Eugene wasn't very happy to see his wife had bought more things to drag home.

Elsa was reading a few documents at the dining table when the girls entered, smiling widely and fanning themselves. Anna swiped a document from Elsa's hand and wagged her finger in the queen's face.

"None of this at the table!" Anna scolded playfully.

Elsa snatched it back. "Knock it off," she said seriously. "This is important!"

The younger girl cowered back a bit, hurt by the snappish tone of her big sister. Elsa sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"Anna, I'm sorry… I just…" Elsa sighed again. She's been doing that a lot lately. "Please, sit down. Lunch is almost ready."

Hesitantly, the two princesses sat, watching Elsa intently. The queen scowled heavily at the paper and balled it up, tossing it over her shoulder with a disgusted scoff.

"Hideous," Elsa growled, slamming the other papers onto the floor beside her chair. "I hate Bernard and his stupid requests and his ridiculous demands and everything that involves synonyms to the two!" She fisted her hair and let out another exhausted groan. "I swear I'm going to start speaking in every language I know to find the perfect slur to spit in Bernard's smug face."

Anna snorted into her tea in a very un-princess-like manner… then again, the regal Queen Elsa's comment wasn't exactly the most appropriate thing to utter. But Elsa didn't seem to care. Her eyes were baggy and tired from sleepless nights and nightmares of her sister getting harmed by the monster.

She was happy that Anna at least enjoyed the queen's proposal and wondered if she could really carry out such a task. Perhaps she could find numerous slurs and swears and say them all together to really confuse the man. He wasn't as educated as she was in the foreign language so there had to have been something she could growl at him.

"Anyway," Elsa said with a wry smile, watching as the servants delivered the lunches. "Did you two have a nice afternoon?"

"We did!" Rapunzel giggled. She glanced around towards the doors. "I wonder where Eugene is. He said he'd see us at lunch."

As if on cue, Eugene sauntered in, rubbing his eyes. He plopped down next to his wife, a plate placed in front of him. He began to ask her how many more things she planned on taking with them to DunBroch. Rapunzel rolled her eyes and told him to relax. Elsa and Anna giggled at their playful bickering. Eugene ended up placing a finger over Rapunzel's lips to prevent her from speaking any further. She glared into his eyes before he kissed her freckled nose.

"Hey, hey," she teased. "Can I eat now, please?"

He grinned at her and sat back, grabbing his sandwich without another word.

After lunch, Elsa, Anna, and Rapunzel skipped into the ballroom to have a snowball fight. Joyfully, Elsa stomped her foot onto the ground and ice spread around the room. With a twirl of her hand, she sent a burst of snow into the air, where it descended and piled along the room. Anna slid over to one side and packed a fort together. Rapunzel went to the opposite side and copied. Elsa rushed towards the back and formed an impressive fortress for protection, generating a snowball in her hand and peeking over the wall. A snowball from Anna's side soared over her head and she gasped.

"Hey!" she shouted.

Anna let out a mocking laugh. Elsa tossed her snowball back while one from Rapunzel smacked her shoulder. Their fight ended with Elsa as the winner, grinning maliciously at the top of her fort, eyes glittering with victory. Her sister and cousin were out of breath, their forts beaten down. During the fight, they had joined forces in order to stand a chance against the Snow Queen but it was in vain.

"How unfair!" Anna whined, Rapunzel nodding in agreement.

"You can't possibly imagine beating me in my own game?" Elsa toyed, winking at them.

"Yeah… we couldn't beat her even if we wanted to," Rapunzel laughed.

The queen jumped down from her fort and took both of them around the shoulders.

"Hey, come and see me in the library in an hour, okay?" she said. "I need to patch a few things up in there and I won't be done until then."

"Will do," Anna promised. "Hey, Punzie, let's go sock skating one last time before you go."

"Sounds like fun!" Rapunzel beamed.

* * *

The hour passed quickly and the princesses skidded into the long hallway where the library was. They came to a halt as Bernard passed them by, a scowl on his face. He paused in front of them with a brooding glare.

"Ah, Princess Rapunzel," he said. "I hear you are leaving today…"

"That's correct," Rapunzel said acidly, raising her eyebrows.

"Excellent. That would lesson the amount of mouths to feed," he hissed, glaring down at his pocket watch, as if he had better things to do than talk to the girls.

"That was incredibly rude!" Anna yelled, putting her hands on her hips. "Apologize to her!"

"Anna, it's okay—" Rapunzel tried but Anna shook her head.

"No, it's not," Anna said lividly. "Bernard, I've given you an order!"

His eyes snapped up from his watch and into Anna's eyes. She was giving him the deepest scowl he had ever seen her wear. The usually timid and submissive Anna was now acting with authority.

And he _hated_ it.

"Are you testing me, child?" he said lowly, his grey eyes flashing.

"Not at all," Anna said, crossing her arms. "I'm just making sure my servants act in the way they should to visiting royalty."

"How… how dare you—"

"How dare _I_? I'm the princess, Bernard. And I have given you a straight order. Apologize to my cousin."

Bernard's cold eyes landed on Rapunzel, who was staring at the ground awkwardly. Obviously this attitude Anna was giving was out of the blue and foreign to her as it was to him. He cleared his throat and uttered out a rueful apology. Anna quirked an eyebrow, almost looking exactly like the Snow Queen herself.

"Anything else?" she snapped.

"Hm… safe travels," he said briskly. "Good enough, _your Highness_?" He spat out the title bitterly. It felt like bile rising in his throat.

"Yes… you're excused," Anna nodded.

With a scowl, he continued his stride and purposely rammed his shoulder hard with Anna's.

She glared after him, rubbing the spot where he hit rather hard. With a sneer, she took Elsa's words to heart and swore at him in French before turning towards the library door. She threw them open and found Elsa sitting at the piano, her fingers slowly playing the keys as she sat in thought. Seeing her sister so content made Anna relax and the anger she had poured out to Bernard faded. Elsa met her eyes and smiled, which Anna gratefully returned, before scooting over so they could join her on the bench.

Rapunzel and Anna sat beside her and watched her lithe and slender fingers tickle the ivories. Her hands were practically dancing over each key, the notes reverberating through the room. Softly, she sang to the two of them, her words harmonizing with her playing.

Elsa:

_Are moments swiftly fading  
__As time begins to pass?  
__If there was some way  
__All our memories could last…_

Her fingers glided over the keys and she changed the tune to a slightly lighter one than before. Anna watched, mesmerized, as her sister showed off her musical talent. Rapunzel was gazing fondly at her cousins as Elsa continued to sing.

_It's hard if you imagine that  
__A month becomes one day  
__And it's harder still believing  
__We'll go our separate ways._

_No one promised it was easy  
__When it comes to letting go  
__But before our ways should part  
__There is something you should know_

Suddenly, Anna got the urge to join in. Opening her mouth, she jumped into the song flawlessly, making the other two girls beam at the chorus.

Anna:

_Every story that we share  
__All the laughter in the air  
__Will be the end of all our fears  
__Until the disappear_

_If there comes a time that  
__We won't be together for a while_

She dropped her voice and sung in a gentle whisper.

_Remember_

Her voice returned strong and confident but her eyes were becoming misty as she uttered the next verse.

_It's never a goodbye…  
__We'll meet again sometime_

Their cousin rubbed Anna's shoulder genially and continued to watch Elsa's beautiful display of piano playing.

Rapunzel:

_With all the days I've spent  
__Now it's easy to believe  
__I've finally found a place my heart  
__Would never choose to leave_

She placed a hand over her heart in example, looking up to the ceiling and dreamt of returning to her family's home to see them once again.

Elsa:

_Home is where the heart is  
__When you feel like you belong_

All:

_That's why we weren't born  
__To keep on living alone_

Elsa's playing quickened and the song gained a more upbeat tune, making the three of them smile brightly at one another. Rapunzel got to her feet and twirled around the piano, the sisters of Arendelle watching her as she sang.

Rapunzel:

_How can I look upon the future  
__When I'm looking at the past?  
__Though I realize, it's safe to say  
__Our memories will last_

Anna got up and joined her, taking her hands and dancing around the room, laughing as Elsa sang a line.

Elsa:

_Every feeling we find strange_

Anna:

_Every unexpected change_

Rapunzel:

_Every season, every mile  
__Makes the journey more worthwhile_

Elsa grinned at them and jumped up, too. The piano fell silent but the girls kept singing, the melody still stuck in their heads, as if it was an old lullaby they knew by heart. Rapunzel kept singing as the three sat at the window sill to overlook the courtyard.

_If there comes a time that  
__We won't be together for a while  
__Remember, it's never a goodbye…  
__We'll meet again sometime_

The sisters sandwiched Rapunzel between the two of them and wrapped their arms tightly around her shoulders. The mood dipped slightly and they felt frowns crease across their faces.

Elsa:

_And when the morning comes  
__And the ship has pulled away_

Anna:

_One day you'll hear me from the distance  
__Calling on your name_

Rapunzel:

_And though we will be far apart  
__And though you won't be near me_

All of them sang together and were fighting back tears that were threatening to spill.

All:

_You're always with me in my heart…_

They sighed in unison and closed their eyes.

The next thing they knew, it was time for Rapunzel to leave for Scotland. Eugene came inside and found them sitting by the window silently. He called their attention and they turned, hearts heavy.

The two sisters were seeing their cousin and her husband off, their heralds helping with the bags to put on the ship. Rapunzel gave Elsa a warm hug, which the queen thoroughly enjoyed just as her little snowman did.

"I hope things between you and Thomas work out well," she said earnestly. "And I hope Bernard gets what's coming to him."

"Me too," Elsa laughed. "Visit anytime you like, Rapunzel. There will always be a room waiting for you and Eugene when you return."

"That's good to know," Rapunzel grinned. She turned to Anna and they embraced. "Be good to Kristoff once he gets back, okay?"

Anna sighed with a sad smile. "I promise to work things out with him as soon as he comes home." She crossed her heart to make it official.

Rapunzel nodded in approval. She gave each of her cousins a swift kiss on the cheek before joining with her husband on the boat. Tears in her eyes, she waved goodbye as the boat sailed away. The melody from before replayed in both Elsa and Anna's heads as they watched her go, singing as one, watching the ship leave port and eyes sparkling with tears.

Anna | Elsa:

_Every story that we share | All those feelings we find strange  
__All the laughter in the air | Every unexpected change  
__Made this journey more worthwhile | Through every season and every mile_

They looped their arms together and waited until the ship became a dot on the horizon of the fjord.

Both:

_It won't be long, the day will come  
__We'll be waiting until then…_

Elsa closed her eyes and sang out softly, her voice quivering with sadness.

Elsa:

_Remember… it's never a goodbye…_

Her little sister added onto the song, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Anna:

_Someday we'll meet again_…

Both:

_It's never a goodbye…  
__We'll meet again sometime_

The boat vanished from their view and they let out shuddering breaths, closing their eyes and leaning on one another. They were going to miss Rapunzel more than anything. Their family had gone away once again but they swore that they would meet up again, just as they had promised in the song.

Heavy footsteps paused beside Elsa and someone cleared their throat. Elsa looked up and found Thomas standing there, smiling gently.

"Hey," she said, blinking. "Did you just get here?"

"Well, I happen to live on my boat, don't I?" he grinned. Thomas followed their previous gaze. "I'm sorry to see them go. Eugene was quite the funny man."

"He certainly was," Elsa agreed.

She prayed that Bernard wasn't watching them.

"Hey, Thomas," Anna piped up, glancing at him. "How would you like to be apologized to if you were a super tall and burly ice harvester?"

Thomas blinked. "Uh… that quite the straight-forward question."

"Can you answer it?" she said, raising her eyebrows.

"I'm sorry, Anna, I wouldn't know," he said with an apologetic shrug.

She pursed her lips and slipped out of Elsa's grip. She sauntered away back to the castle, Thomas no longer being of any use to her at this point. Elsa sighed and waved Thomas goodbye to follow her sister back home, promising to meet with him the next chance she got. She felt his eyes on the back of her neck as she walked away and prayed that her feet would keep moving in the direction she wanted. Desperate for some contact from a man who actually liked her… but it was the middle of the day. If someone were to see—

"Anna, wait up!" Elsa called after her. "Oh, sweetie, are you upset?"

Anna looked over her shoulder at her big sister, tears sparkling in her eyes. She nodded with a heavy sniffle. They paused, just in front of the gates of the castle. Anna let out a sigh and tangled her fingers with Elsa's, leaning her forehead on her shoulder.

"I hate feeling so weird," Anna mumbled into the fabric of Elsa's dress.

The older girl smiled. "What? About all the craziness going on?"

"Craziness between Kristoff and I… Punzie leaving… Bernard being a—" Anna swore in French as she had done before.

Elsa grimaced at the language but didn't say anything. After all, she had been the one who provoked such a thought that afternoon during lunch.

"Sorry," Anna chuckled. "I guess I should stop swearing."

"As long as I don't hear it anymore," Elsa said, patting her sister's back gently. "Now, let's go back inside. If you'd like, I'll read some stories out of our Mythology book."

Anna perked up and met Elsa's eyes. She grinned and nodded, letting Elsa lead her back into the castle. As they entered the foyer, they stopped dead in their tracks. Waiting on the bottom of the stairs, sitting and mumbling to himself, was Kristoff.

The princess felt her mouth go dry and she was unable to speak. She glanced at Elsa for help but the Snow Queen didn't catch her eye. She was staring at the mountain man with surprise and she, too, was finding it difficult to talk. She ended up making an odd noise in the back of her throat, making the blonde man look up from his fidgeting fingers.

"Oh… hey," he said, waving.

Elsa found her voice. "Did you just get back?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah I did." He got to his feet. "But some weird guy told me to wait for you here. I was gonna go look for you upstairs— then he saw me and…" He shrugged his heavy shoulders helplessly. "Here I am."

"Was he tall, with grey eyes and a nasty attitude?" Elsa smirked.

"Yup."

"That's Bernard. Arendelle's latest disaster," the queen said.

She glanced at Anna, who was staring at the ground. She could feel her shaking with pent up apology and anxiety. Elsa felt a rush of fury towards the man before her for making her sister feel this way. Her rational side, however, reasoned that this was more than just his fault.

"In fact… I have some bad news for the both of you," she went on slowly. "I know that things are still rusty between you two but if Bernard were to find out a princess is dating a common Ice Harvester… he would go ballistic and well— I don't think he would allow this to continue."

She could almost hear the shatter of Anna's heart as her sister looked up in horror. At least that proved to the three in the foyer that there was still some love she was hanging onto and refused to give up. Kristoff swallowed hard and grit his teeth.

"Are you serious?" he choked.

"I don't like it anymore than you do," Elsa said. "And I'll be sure to make some excuse up to why you're staying here… you _are_ the Ice Master and Deliverer so it would sort of make sense. But I want you two to patch things up _now_." She snapped her fingers, some frost dusting out of her spark. "It's been long enough and we don't have the distraction of Rapunzel or Eugene anymore. I'm going upstairs to speak with Bernard about your… situation?" It came out as a question, Elsa unsure of how to phrase it.

"But, Elsa," Anna croaked. "What're you gonna tell him about us?"

"Unfortunately, like Thomas and I, you're going to have to hide it," Elsa said bitterly. "I don't like it but it's what needs to be done until everything is fixed." She sighed and raked a hand trough her hair. "I'll be upstairs. See you at dinner."

Anna didn't want to be left alone with Kristoff just yet. She had no idea what to say to him. How to apologize to him for her abysmal behavior. The outburst she had thrust in his face before storming away into the comforting arms of her big sister.

Before Anna could say anything to Elsa, the queen was already up the steps, hands behind her back. Then the hem of her cape vanished as she ascended the stairs and to the next level. Anna gulped and toyed with her fingers, counting the freckles that were dusted on the top of her hands. It was an impossible task but she tried anyway. Anything to prevent the continuation of their argument.

Kristoff waited patiently for her to swallow her pride. He knew full well that Anna was guilty, as was he but he was willing to wait and meet her eyes before he blurted out his apology.

Finally, after two agonizing minutes of silence, Anna looked up from her hands. Blue eyes met brown and he gave her a lopsided smile, affection bursting from that simple expression. The guilt was too much for Anna and tears welled up in her eyes again. She sniffled and stepped forward, throwing herself into his open arms.

"I'm so sorry!" she wailed, burying her face in his chest. "Kristoff, I love you so much, okay? I didn't like our fight, I didn't mean any of it. I know that you meant the best for me but… but… my reaction was uncalled for."

"Hey, hey," he soothed, rubbing circles on her back. "It's okay. And I'm sorry, too. I should watch what I say. Especially about Elsa."

She squeezed her eyes shut and hugged him as tight as her lithe arms could. He held her close and planted chaste kisses on her head.

"Look, I may not be the best guy around—"

"That's not true…"

"— But all I know is that I love you and I'll do anything to make this right."

Anna removed her head from his chest and looked up into his face. She gave him a gentle smile, her eyes still glistening.

"You don't have to do anything," Anna whispered. "We were both in the wrong but now it's in the past." She gave his arm a squeeze. "We're gonna be okay… I promise: from here on out, I'll do my best to keep my temper." He chuckled, highly doubting that was going to be a kept promise. He appreciated it nevertheless.

"And I promise to watch my mouth," he grinned.

Anna rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right."

They shared a laugh and their fight melted away from their memories. All was right between them now and Anna was happy. She wished, however, that Elsa would manage to convince Bernard that there was nothing going on between the princess and the Ice Harvester…

But she didn't care, the moment she pressed her lips to Kristoff's, the world vanished beneath her feet and she was back where she belonged: in his arms.

* * *

Elsa found Bernard in the royal study. He was wearing half-moon spectacles and going over a few letters that were open on the desk. Elsa cleared her throat and he looked up, over the rim of his glasses. He sent her a small glare for disrupting his work but didn't dare speak it out. Instead, he waited for her to say the first word.

"Good evening," she said, shutting the door behind her.

"Mhm," he mumbled, his eyes falling back to the parchment. "What is it that you want?"

"I heard you met our Ice Master downstairs," Elsa said, not moving from her spot.

"You mean that bumbling oaf?" he said, scratching a signature down. "The one with the mop of blond hair and smells like reindeer dung?"

Elsa's expression soured. "If that's how you want to put it… I guess so. Well, anyway, his name is Kristoff and he lives here with us."

"Why?"

"He served Anna last month on her journey to the North Mountain. In his honor, I made him Arendelle's Ice Master and Deliverer. He's welcome by everyone," she explained. "So you've no right to treat him badly—"

"Don't you tell me that," he snarled, lifting his gaze back up to meet her eyes. "If you haven't noticed, m'lady—" He spit out the name like he had Anna's title. "— I've been nasty to everyone here. It's how I keep my authority."

Elsa blinked. Was… was he serious? He was actually admitting to her that he was aware of his horrendous attitude? For a fleeting moment, she almost believed the man was human. She shook her head and reminded herself that he had ordered the prisons downstairs to keep her powers under control whenever they seemed to get out of hand, dragged her sister out of bed by force, and held onto ties all over the globe to keep Elsa in check.

No way was he a respectable human being.

"No matter," Elsa said smoothly, trying to keep her fury hidden. "Kristoff is a welcomed guest—?"

"Tell me how long he's been courting the princess," he said.

"How in the world—?"

"Oh, Elsa, don't make it a game," he chastised, removing his glasses and sitting back in his seat. "I noticed it the moment he said her name. He asked where she was and I caught onto the tiniest sliver of desperation… yes, he's quite madly in love with her, isn't he?"

Elsa's mouth went dry and she felt the room chill. Bernard glanced up at the ceiling, noticing the drop in temperature as well.

"Hm. I thought so." He stood up and approached her, stopping two feet away. "And rest assured, child, I will see to it that your sister is married to a proper man."

"Kristoff _is_ a proper man," Elsa said, her temper getting the best of her.

"Then I think I found my bait," he sneered.

"What are you—?"

"If you refuse to work with me, Elsa, then your sister just might end up in the arms of a prince or lord from some other country. Do I make myself clear?"

His smirk was too much. Elsa wanted to slap it off his face.

But all she could do was nod stiffly. Anything to keep her sister happy… anything to keep her _safe_. Bernard was controlling her like a puppet and she hated every bit of it. But if he was serious about the threat, then she had no choice but to keep him as her advisor.

"Very good," he said, turning back to the desk.

Positively livid, Elsa turned on her heel and thrust open the door. After she slammed it shut, she walked as quickly as she could to her private study where she let out a frustrated shout and spikes of ice erupted from the corners of the room.

This is for Anna… for your kingdom…

Elsa was breathing hard as she gripped the back of her chair. She was trying so hard not to freeze the summer again and was keeping all her icy anger inside. It wasn't healthy, she knew that, but what else could she do?

Biting her lip and hugging her arms to her chest, she let herself sink to the floor and stare blankly up at the ceiling.

Then there was a knock on her door.

Without moving, she allowed entry, not bothering to ask who came to call. Light footsteps entered the room, the door clicking shut.

"Oh… my goodness," breathed Anna, noting the spikes jutting out from the ceiling corners. "Are you okay?"

"He knows," Elsa managed. "He knows about you and Kristoff."

Anna gasped, fearing the worst.

"But he's leaving it alone… for now," Elsa pressed. "I got him to understand."

_Liar_, she thought bitterly. But she couldn't tell Anna the truth.

"Thank you," Anna said, sitting beside Elsa on the floor. "But are _you_ okay?"

Elsa nodded. Of course, she wasn't _entirely_ okay but it was a relief to know that as long as she cooperated, Bernard would leave Anna alone.

"Don't lie… please," Anna said.

The Snow Queen huffed. "Anna, I just made a few compromises. That's all." She met Anna's eyes. "Please just… stop asking, okay? It's better if you don't know."

A little hurt, but understanding, Anna uttered out a noise that sounded like she agreed. Elsa pulled her sister into a hug and relaxed into the touch of her sister as she hugged back.

"I'm sorry," Elsa grumbled. "I know, I'm shutting you out again."

Anna grinned and pulled back. "You're keeping me safe. I may not like it, but once all this is over, I expect to hear about it."

"Deal," Elsa said with a smile.

"Now _you_ need to relax!" Anna decided, standing up. "We can have some more hot chocolate, if you want."

"No… no I'm okay," Elsa shook her head, standing, too. "I think I'm going to just head to bed. My mind is too cluttered to focus on anything but sleep."

"Fair enough," Anna giggled. "But you need to see Thomas soon. I think this separation thing is getting to you."

Elsa squinted. "What? No, it hasn't."

"You miss him!"

"I saw him a few hours ago."

"Hardly…"

Elsa crossed her arms. "Well, fine. So what if I miss him? He's courting me, after all."

"That's such a lame term," Anna chastised, waving away the comment. "He's your boyfriend, and you know it."

The queen rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Same thing."

"You're hopeless," Anna sighed dramatically, the corners of her mouth tugging upward. Elsa smiled back.

"I know," she quipped. She changed to topic. "Everything work out between you and Kristoff?"

Anna's face brightened and her freckles popped. "Yeah! It's good again… all is forgiven."

"Wonderful," Elsa approved. "I'm glad."

"You and me both…"

They fell silent, the clock the only sound filling the room. Elsa waved her hand and forced the spikes, which had been dying away slowly, to completely dissipate.

"Anyway, I'm heading to bed," Elsa said. "And then… then I think I'll figure out what to do about those drapes."

Anna laughed as they began to leave the room. "I'll handle that on my own. You've got enough on your plate as it is."

"Good idea," Elsa chortled.

Yes… those drapes…

Something about those drapes…

* * *

**I keep mentioning the drapes. Could that mean something?**

**Pfft. I dunno.**

**Anyway, I'm glad you guys held on for as long as you did. Thank you for dealing with my petty procrastination.**

**The song belongs to ASianSuccessor2012. And I am NO LONGER taking songs. I have the ones I need now until the end of the story. But if by some odd occurrence I **_**do**_** need one, I'll let you know. And forgive the typos, if any. I finished this late at night and didn't feel like editing. That's my bad. I might get around to it later if it really bugs me… Ha.**

**See you next time!**


	12. Chapter 12: Two Weeks Since

**You're gonna hate me but I need to tell you all:**

**I **_**know**_** this story is flawed. I **_**know**_** that Thomas and Elsa seem to be going too fast. I **_**know**_** that Bernard can be kicked out and he's not a good villain and blah blah blah. I've heard it from all of you.**

**And it stings because I know full well that I could have done better by you.**

**Yes, there are plot holes. Yes, my time should have been extended for the story. But it's not going to be perfect. So I'm sorry.**

**But I'm going to finish this story if it's the last thing I do and give reasons for every single flaw that I have put into this story by mistake. I will rectify the problems, I swear.**

**BUT, for those of you who love the story and all of its flaws, I thank you oh so very much and I **_**do**_** appreciate the reviews from EVERYONE. I'm just getting tired of seeing the same thing y'know? But that doesn't mean you should stop reviewing or telling me what to fix. And I really appreciate the wonderful amount of reviews you have left me to smile upon. So I really **_**am**_** grateful even though I totally became an asshole during the first part of this A/N.**

**No songs in this. This is all about the pranks Anna is causing and her time with Kristoff and how Elsa is trying to clear her head with all this Bernard business while trying to balance out her work which is getting very hard.**

**Disclaimer: Disney owns FROZEN**

* * *

The floors creaked beneath her feet as she tip-toed across the floor. She was biting her lip with a devilish grin on her face, as if she were some tom cat waiting to capture an unsuspecting mouse. An ink bottle was in her hand, her thumb pushing down on the cork that was suppressing the over-flowing amount of blue ink inside. Once Bernard opened it… _splash!_ All over his documents.

And Anna was given full permission from her Majesty the Queen to preform such a trick on their cruel advisor. The princess was shaking with excitement, her cheeks red with mirth and her freckles scrunching as she held in devious giggles. She slipped into the royal library where Bernard usually did his work. It was empty, the fireplace untouched and cold. Anna moved forward and replaced his ink bottle, thinking that this was the best trick she has ever pulled so far.

Then she split, running down the hall and laughing like a maniac. She slid across the floor and grabbed the handle of Elsa's study, flying it open. Startled, the queen jumped in her seat as Anna slammed the door behind her, the gust from the impact snuffing out the candles.

Grumbling with annoyance, Elsa struck another match and relit the candle on her desk as Anna strode forward, positively glowing.

"What is it, Anna?" Elsa said roughly. "I'm busy."

"I did it! I replaced the ink," Anna announced proudly, sitting in the seat across from Elsa. She eyed the uneaten tea sandwiches and cool cup of earl grey. "You feeling all right? You haven't eaten your lunch yet… it's been two weeks since Rapunzel's left and you've been awfully… well, your door's been more closed than usual. Never locked but closed nevertheless."

"I've been doing other things," Elsa said. "Working out these trade agreements as _civilly_ as possible with Bernard, writing letters to different countries, and finding time to spend with Thomas— which is getting really hard to do with Bernard breathing down my neck…" Elsa pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to force back the migraine that was dangerously creeping up into the back of her eyes. "I'm sorry that it seems like I'm shutting you out again but I just… I got a lot on my plate."

"No, I totally get it," Anna said. "But just know that I'm here for—"

"_Princess Anna!_" Bernard's voice roared from down the hall.

Elsa blinked as Anna jumped to her feet.

"I gotta run. Kristoff is my getaway and we won't be back until late, okay?" She blew Elsa a kiss. "See you at dinner!"

"Stay safe," Elsa called after her sister as she ran off, leaving Elsa alone in the study.

She continued to write her letter to the ambassador of France when the doors burst open again, her candle being blown out once more. She glowered up at the intruder and found an ink-splattered Bernard huffing over the threshold.

Elsa was trying her hardest to keep a straight face.

"_Where _is your sister?" he demanded through gritted teeth.

"No idea," Elsa deadpanned.

"Don't. Lie. To me," he snarled, marching over to her.

"I really don't know," she said placidly, lighting the candle and returning to her letter. "Bernard, let her have her fun."

"I know full well who put her— and the rest of the staff— up to this," he said darkly, his face shadowed menacingly by the light of the flame.

"Then tell me," she replied smoothly. "I dare you."

They stared at one another for a few heavy seconds before he growled and turned on his heel and shutting the door curtly. She took in a deep breath and dropped her gaze down to her paper, loving the feeling of standing up to him for once. She was getting so tired of being pushed around by him.

And he did so many things that Elsa could have easily gotten rid of him for. There was something holding her back, however, that she couldn't just name. It was in the back of her mind and she was desperately trying to figure out his initial plan.

He was back for a reason and Elsa was getting the same curious itch that she shared with Anna. She had been asking around the staff but they all turned up short.

Which was getting on her nerves.

So Elsa moved on with her job and tried her best to do exactly what she told Anna. To get along with what she needed to do as queen. It was better than worrying about everything and not doing anything.

Her situation with Thomas was getting rocky and she could tell that her distractions were getting the better of her. Whenever she saw him, she forgot herself and that she had a reputation— a kingdom— to uphold and keep intact. She really liked him but he was becoming more of a nuisance than she wished he could be.

Therefore, her meetings with him were becoming less and less as time went on. He questioned it just last night when they snuck out of the harbor and on the hills. She simply said she had too much to do. It wasn't a lie but it wasn't the total truth.

Without him around, she was getting back into her usual cool demeanor. She was figuring out things and started to realize how wrong she had been about Bernard's authority. Although, she was still careful not to anger him or do anything that might send him running to sever the ties between Arendelle and other places in order to destroy all connections.

She had to confront him slowly…

Elsa was really starting to learn how to cope with her job and keep an even balance of authority and love over her citizens, staff, and sister.

* * *

Anna and Kristoff were in stitches as Sven dragged their sled up the mountain. She had just finished telling her boyfriend of the most recent pranks she had pulled on Bernard. He was digging her quirkiness, as always, and grinning at the reactions as she described them.

"He was so _angry_," Anna giggled. "Ooh, he looked like his head was about to explode."

"That would have been a good thing," Kristoff supplied.

"Absolutely," she agreed. "Ugh… and poor Elsa. She's under so much stress right now. I really hope she'll manage to get back on her feet and smile more again. I thought we were getting somewhere."

"It's only been a month or so since the Thaw," he reminded her soothingly. "Elsa is going to have difficulty. Sure she may have seemed to be happier but I wouldn't be surprised if she returned to her old ways."

"But she _can't_!" Anna huffed and crossed her arms. "She promised."

Kristoff chortled and wrapped his arm around her shoulders and snuggled her close.

"Anna, she wouldn't shut you out again," he assured. "The Elsa now isn't the Elsa then but she _is_ still herself. Old habits die hard."

The princess grunted with regrettable agreement and buried her head in his chest, inhaling the familiar scent of hay. He slowed Sven's pace and the reindeer fell into an easy trot, snorting with slight relief. Kristoff planted a kiss on Anna's head.

"Anna, do you really think that Elsa would try to keep away from you again?" he said.

She shook her head into his shirt.

"Good. 'Cause Bernard is the only thing you need to worry about."

A giggle was rumbled into the fabric, Anna grinning in spite of herself.

"I know," was Anna's muffled response. "He's a big fat jerk and I want him gone. But Elsa isn't doing anything to kick him out." She sat up to look into his eyes. "She's planning something, though. I can feel it."

"Knowing Elsa, it will be a good plan."

Anna gave him a chaste kiss before murmuring, "Can we just, like, stop talking about my sister for once."

He smirked a tiny bit. "That's a surprise coming from you. You practically worship her."

"Yeah, but, I wanna kiss you," Anna said, quirking an eyebrow. "And Elsa is getting in the way."

He laughed. "As you wish, my princess."

With that, Kristoff closed the minimal gap between them, his hand cupping the back of her neck to bring her closer. Anna wrapped her arms around his shoulders, smiling against his lips.

The sled kept climbing and the two lovers enjoyed each other's company, kissing and talking about other things besides the Snow Queen and her choices.

When the couple returned to the kingdom, Kristoff was tending to Sven and his sled by his ice stand, Anna sitting on top of the table people watching. The summer sun was weaker than usual but her neck was burning from its bright rays anyway. The ocean breeze was rushing by, filling her lungs with salty air.

As they relaxed in silence, someone cleared their throat behind Anna, making her twist around to see who was attempting to talk with her.

"Oh! Ha, hiya, Thomas!" Anna said.

The young Prince of England was standing with his usual smile on his face. He had some grime on his shirt and face, showing he had been hard at work on his ship a while before.

"Good afternoon, Princess," he said with a small bow. "How are you today?"

"Oh, just wonderful," Anna said, swinging herself around so she could face him all the way. Kristoff glanced up from the ropes on his sled to watch and listen in on the conversation. Anna continued, "And how are you?"

"Fine… listen, uh… is Elsa busy tomorrow evening?" he asked.

"Yeah, she is," Anna said apologetically. "Sorry, Thomas, but she has a full schedule. Some sort of meeting with the staff and then she and I are going over trade routes. Frankly, I couldn't care less but she told me that if I'm her right hand, I have to learn these things in case I need to take over a meeting or something." She dusted off some dirt on her dress. "Which is fine with me 'cause I'm spending time with her but…" She clicked her tongue almost critically. "She's just… she's being Elsa."

Thomas was grinning at her rambling and exchanged a look with Kristoff, who gave him a knowing shrug before returning to his work.

"Being Elsa. I see," Thomas summarized. "Well, when you do see her next, tell her that I wish to discuss a few political—"

"Thomas, I am very well aware that her Majesty and yourself sneak off to be all googly-eyed with each other," Anna teased with a twinkle in her eye. "Elsa and I are sisters and sometimes what is her business ends up being mine because _I_ am the one who keeps the secrets from others."

"Yes… quite, well I wanted to actually ask you about Elsa, too," he admitted. "She's been a little off lately and I'm getting worried about her."

"Relax," Kristoff finally piped up. "Elsa is going through so many emotional ranges, you have no idea."

"She's still a fun-loving gal, but then she's that brooding and respectful queen, then she returns to being a total dork, and then she's quiet and collected," Anna explained, ticking off her list on her fingers. "It's normal. Annoying? You bet. But normal."

"Mhm…" Thomas mused. "I do hope she'll be all right."

Anna waved away his concern. "Awh, don't worry. She'll be the Elsa you know in no time." She crossed her heart. "I promise you, Prince Thomas of England, Elsa still totally wants to see you. Or my name isn't Princess Anna of Arendelle."

* * *

"Wait, what?"

Anna gaped at Elsa from her bed. The queen was sitting at her vanity, brushing her hair calmly with lidded eyes.

"You heard me," she said coolly, meeting Anna's eyes from the reflection in the mirror. "I'm not that interested in distracting myself with Thomas at the moment."

"Then I'm gonna have to change my name," Anna mumbled under her breath. She shook her head and addressed her big sister, "But you can't be serious. I thought you liked him!"

"I _do_ like him," Elsa said. "Nothing's changed with my feelings. I simply want to focus on my duties as a monarch."

"You're so difficult!" Anna let out in a whine, flopping onto her back and staring up at the canopy. "First you're this way, then you're _that_ way… I can't keep up with you!" She sat up with a determined expression. "But are you still going to see him?"

"Of course."

"So… so, wait," Anna muttered, knitting her brows together. "I'm confused."

Elsa rolled her eyes and turned around in her stool. "I would like to see Thomas but he isn't my number one priority at the moment. I'm the queen of Arendelle and as such that should be my focus. Not some quick and random romance formulated inside my head."

"But it _isn't_ inside your head," Anna told her, putting her hands on her hips. "He likes you, too."

"Maybe he does," Elsa said with a soft smile. "And that makes me happy but it's also a distraction."

"What will you say when you next see him, then?" Anna wondered.

The Snow Queen closed her eyes and ran a hand through her thick locks.

"I'm not sure. I know that once I see him, my emotions will take over and my troubles won't matter." She grimaced. "Frankly, it's getting harder and harder to allow that to happen."

"You're confusing me again. Explain, please?"

Elsa sighed. "Okay, listen closely because I'm only going to say this once. Got it?" After a firm nod from Anna, Elsa pressed on with a deep breath. "When I met Thomas, I was a little love-struck, I'll shamelessly admit that. He was charming and kind behind the royal mask he put on. Therefore, I believed I could relate to that. We had some things in common about being an older sibling and having so many troubles on our shoulders because we were royalty." She drummed her fingers against her knee. "Great. We had a connection. Then he was flirtatious and I got a little nervous. No man had ever done that to me because, hey, I've been locked away in a castle for thirteen years. I didn't know how to react so I just went with it.

"And it's _wonderful_ to feel these emotions. I love every second I spend with him. Now, that makes you think that I want to be with him. Maybe one day, it could happen. If it does, I'd be very happy. But ever since he and Rapunzel and Eugene left the castle and Kristoff came back, giving you stuff to do, I returned to my daily activities." Elsa bit her lip for a moment as she mulled over her own words. "It was then I realized that I was getting distracted by fear and love in _bad_ ways. I'm still afraid of what Bernard might do to us if I defy him but I know that he's already done so many things to get himself thrown out. It's almost as if he's… testing me, you know?

"But so much has happened and I've become overly smitten with a man I barely know. I think that's starting to run in the family—" Anna laughed awkwardly. "— However, with Thomas gone from the palace, I'm thinking clearly. I'll always have these feelings, I believe, but they are not important to me at the given time."

She finished with a big breath, her cheeks pink from her long rant. She rubbed the back of her neck and hoped Anna would understand. The princess was nodding slowly, her eyes set on the corner of the ceiling as she tried to keep up with what Elsa had explained.

"So… in short: you like Thomas but you feel like your job is more important because of conflicts such as Bernard and his devious ways?" Anna tried to recap, cringing at her elementary grade conclusion.

"If that's how it makes the most sense to you, then yes," Elsa said with a wry smile.

"So what now?"

"Now I clean up all the messes that I've made and hopefully I'll find a valid reason to kick Bernard out for good since I'm an idiot and I haven't acted upon any of his other shenanigans," the queen said, getting to her feet and cracking her back. "Ugh… being hunched over a stack of trade agreements is going to be the death of me."

Anna giggled. "You'll survive."

* * *

It was a calm morning in Arendelle when Elsa was reading peacefully in her study. She managed to find a small window of free time before her afternoon meeting with the town council and was going to take full advantage of it. Anna was with Gerda that morning, learning how to properly run a kitchen and so on, since Elsa was the ruler and Anna her right hand. Elsa had no time for such things, therefore Anna was acting as the 'queen' to Elsa's king-like authority.

The fireplace was crackling heartily, the smell of burning wood seeping through the curtains and the furniture and the pages of her book. The clock was ticking in the slow, mesmerizing beat that often made Elsa fall asleep is she sat on the window sill and closed her eyes.

But her peaceful morning was ruined when the door was opened and shut quickly. She glanced up from her book to find Bernard standing by her desk, his eyes glowing with fury.

"Yes, what has Anna done now?" Elsa said dryly.

"She has disrupted the meeting I was having with the servants," he snarled.

"Impossible. She's with Gerda in the kitchens," she said, dropping her eyes to the book. "What kind of ridiculous—?"

"Her lessons were cut short because of my meeting."

"Oh, I see. In her defense, she had every right to claim Gerda for the morning since she was scheduled to meet with her."

"My authority over the princess—"

"Is hardly any."

"_Excuse me?_"

"You heard me."

"Are you trying to get yourself into a jam, Elsa?"

She raised her gaze from the book and back onto him. He was grinning wickedly with a malevolent gleam in his eye, not unlike Hans. Elsa was disturbed but didn't dare show it. "Oh, Elsa… I could do so many things to get you in trouble. Say so many lies—"

"I could say the same about you, Bernard," Elsa countered. "I could have forced you into prison long ago for dragging Anna out of bed. I could have fired you for threatening me. Oh, _Bernard_, I can do so much to kick you out of Arendelle."

His face drained of its color. He was livid, his fists shaking at his sides. Elsa smiled plainly and stood up, calmly marking her page, and moving over to her advisor, staring up at him with the authority she knew she had over him.

"I could really do a number on your so-called reputation…" she hissed acidly. "However, I won't. I have a few plans for you. And I think you will find them quite, ah, interesting."

"Elsa…"

"You will address me as _Queen_ Elsa from now on, Bernard, if you wish to keep your job here," Elsa shot at him, using all her courage that she had been storing within herself. "I will wait for you to carry out whatever ridiculous scheme you have up your sleeve and then figure out what to do with you. Unless you wish to leave now—"

He gave her a snide grin. "Not even close."

"I thought so."

"What of your sister?" he said darkly.

"You hurt a hair on her head I won't hesitate to freeze your heart," she said. "Although, that would be hard because yours is clearly frozen already."

"Clever. And what do you plan on doing now? You're now aware that things will turn out differently."

"I'm up for a nice challenge and you are as well, I'm sure."

They locked eyes, one daring the other to make the first move— to break the eye contact. Who was weaker?

Bernard was.

He tore his gaze away from his queen and said briskly, "Your meeting is in ten minutes, your _Majesty_. Do make sure you're there on time."

Then he left. Elsa smiled at herself, feeling proud, strong, and no longer like a weak and ignorant ruler. She was going to push him until he quit or reveal himself. Make him pay for all the suffering he had caused Anna over the years and all the harsh things he said to the both of them as they grew up. Karma was coming back to bite him hard and Elsa was more than happy to deliver it right to his smug face.

* * *

"Let's review. What's this route called?"

"The… uh… French one?"

Elsa gave her sister a long look as Anna cringed sheepishly over her lack of memory and short attention span. Who knows how many times Elsa had actually named the route but Anna hadn't been paying any mind, thinking about her day with her loving boyfriend.

"Really? The French one?" Elsa repeated.

"I don't know! It's in French right?" Anna said, jabbing a finger onto the map spread out on the table.

"Say it _in_ French, Anna," Elsa said calmly.

"But… I…" She tried to sneak a peek at the name etched on the map but Elsa covered it up, leaving only the route's pathway.

"No peeking," Elsa chastised. "You need to prove that you were paying attention."

There was an awkward silence before Anna shyly admitted that she didn't pay attention at all. With a tolerating smile and roll of her eyes, Elsa uncovered the map and grabbed Anna's chin to direct her to look at the map.

"Now listen. This one is…"

Elsa began to reexplain the entire map to Anna, who was trying her very best not to get distracted. In truth, she was loving the attention she was getting from Elsa after all this time of her being distant and busy. When Elsa paused over the route through the Mediterranean, she met Anna's eyes. She realized that they were hazy and bored with the lesson but her face was interested and trying hard to concentrate.

The queen glanced up at the clock and realized that it was getting late. Anna was simply falling asleep.

"All right," she said. "We can continue this tomorrow."

Anna perked up. "Really!? I mean, uh… yeah. Sounds good."

"You look exhausted. Where did Kristoff take you today?" Elsa demanded as they started to make their way out of the meeting hall and to their room.

"No where," Anna said. "We just sat in the chocolate shop and went shopping for a new vest to match his shirt. It's the stuff Gerda put me through that tuckered me out. I mean, I have to do so much memorizing now that I'm your official right hand." Anna stretched as they turned the corner. "It's tiring."

"I'm sorry, Anna."

"'S not your fault. It's my job, anyway. I shouldn't be complaining." She rubbed her eyes. "I shoulda been paying attention…"

Elsa giggled, tugging playfully at Anna's braid. "I need to remind myself that you can't stay up past eight."

"I can so!" Anna retorted. "I just went to bed late that's all. That book I've been reading is really good and it's impossible to put down. Ooh, that reminds me! Thomas was asking about you the other day."

"Was he?"

"He misses you, y'know?"

Elsa smiled softly. "I know."

"So how are you going to cope with all the romantic confusion?"

Anna bumped her shoulder with Elsa's, grinning and trying to keep her tone teasing.

"I'm going to go along with it until I figure out how I feel," Elsa said. "I know that sounds bad… but it's all I can do."

"If that's what will make you feel better," Anna said with an understanding nod. "Then I will support you."

"Thank you, Anna… I'm just…"

"Confused? Troubled?" Anna supplied weakly. "How 'bout, confuzzled?"

"Con-_what_?"

"Never mind."

"Well— whatever it was. It sounds perfect," Elsa nodded. "I can't think straight but I've never had a clearer mind."

They reached their bedroom and Anna opened up the door. They entered and Elsa shut the door behind them, the girls parting to change into their nightgowns, ready for a long, peaceful slumber.

* * *

The girls and Kristoff were standing in the middle of the throne room as Nora and a few other servants were moving around them, stripping away the old tapestries and rolling them away for storage, pulling away the children sized thrones, and painting the walls.

"It's coming along nicely," Anna said. "Elsa, did you tell them to make sure it looks like icicles are coming down from the ceiling."

"No need," Elsa said simply, waving her hand and sending a string of magic upwards. It swirled along the rafters until icicles cemented themselves in the wood and hung down, sparkling in the light streaming from the windows.

"Oh right. You're the Snow Queen," Anna laughed.

"When is the tapestry going to be put up?" Kristoff asked.

"As soon as it's finished," Elsa answered. "But the walls are going to be painted like snowy mountains and snowflakes and whatnot. I want it all to be a nice reminder of my palace…" Her eyes grew glassy but she had a nostalgic smile on her face.

The doors behind them opened and in walked Bernard, checking his pocket watch. Kristoff and Anna turned and saw him before exchanging looks of disgust with each other. Elsa, however, turned and smiled pleasantly at her advisor.

"Good morning, Bernard," she said. "How can I help you?"

"Erm… well, your Majesty," he said sourly. "The royal ambassador from Denmark has arrived for your meeting."

"Ah, yes," Elsa said, loving the bitterness of his voice. He wasn't holding back a glower though, making it known to her how much she hated her game. "Anna, do come along. We must introduce ourselves to him."

"Yes, your Majesty," Anna said obediently but hesitantly, following Elsa out of the throne room, her hands folded in front of her.

Bernard gave Kristoff a critical once-over before striding off to join the sisters. The mountain man raised his eyebrows after them, slowly turning back to assist with the decorating.

"What in the world was that?" Anna hissed in Elsa's ear as they walked. "He was almost respectful… key word is almost, here."

Elsa laughed. "I'm doing him a favor and he's doing me one. I'd like to see what he plans on doing now that he knows I'm not going to be intimidated by him anymore."

"Ooh, Elsa! You're getting feistier than me," Anna said, cracking a grin. "I like this new you… sorta kinda. I mean, you're still confusing and whatever but… you know what. I should just stop before I get myself all jumbled up."

"That would be a good idea," Elsa agreed with a wink.

* * *

**Shorter than most chapters, I know. I wanted to get this out to you guys before I forgot about it. I also didn't have a chance to edit it so I might go back and look it over again if I feel the need to. Otherwise I think it's okay.**

**Please do your best to leave suggestions and **_**constructive**_** criticism. I don't want anymore "Thomas and Elsa being fast" or "Bernard is a sucky villain why is Elsa doing this now?" Okay?**

**Great.**

**Thanks, though, and I **_**do**_** love you all very much.**

**See you next time!**


	13. Story of Thomas Pt 1

**So a reader suggested that I give a backstory for my two OCs: Bernard and Thomas. And I thought: what a fantastic idea to give them reasoning to be who they are and why they're important.**

**So we're gonna start with the love interest of our Snow Queen— Prince Thomas of England. I'm giving him two chapters to tell his story because he's awesome and he deserves it. Bernard will only have one because he's a dick and there isn't too much to tell about him.**

**From me to you, here is the story of Thomas.**

**Disclaimer: Disney owns FROZEN**

* * *

The castle gardens were full of green, the flowers abundant in color, and the sky a clear blue. There was laughter in the air as two young boys ran around the bushes and trees. One was a twelve-year-old boy with light brown hair and blue eyes, being chased by his eight-year-old brother who had scraggly black hair and warm brown eyes. They were barefoot and had just been released from their music lessons, free for the rest of the day, their collared shirts and vests getting whipped around by the spring breeze.

The older brother took a sharp left and stopped short, the younger brother passing him by accidentally. He felt a tug on his arm and he was pulled back into the brunette boy, the two of them falling backwards and landing on the grass. They started to laugh again, looking up at the falling leaves that were blown away from their branches.

"Lucky to be out of there, huh Tommy?" the older brother grinned.

"Yeah," the boy called Tommy replied. "I think Miss Winifred hates my piano playing. She keeps snapping at me when I miss a key."

"Awh, don't worry about her. She's bloody crazy."

"Peter! Mum'll get mad if she catches you using that word," Tommy reminded him. "She heard a servant boy use it and he was beaten hard."

Peter smirked. "She's not around to hear me. So I can say it all I want. I'm the prince, aren't I? And that kid… blimey, he's just a servant boy. Low life, that's what he is."

"That's not very nice."

"What do I care?"

"You're so mean to 'em, brother!" Tommy said, sitting up. "They help us."

Peter stood up and kicked Tommy over gently, hitting his shoulder lightly with a chuckle.

"It's things like that that'll make you a weak king," he chastised.

"I'll be a better king than you!" Tommy argued as Peter started to walk towards the palace lake.

"Of course," Peter rolled his eyes. "But you won't rule England. That'll be me!"

"Tosser!" Tommy shouted, leaping to his feet and running after Peter.

"Oi! Language, little—" But he was cut off short when Tommy slammed his body onto Peter's and held onto his waist, causing him to topple over and land into the lake.

The princes made a stupendous splash before coming up for air. Peter was livid and he growled with fury, grabbing Tommy by the hair and yanking him up hard. Tommy yelled out in pain as his face was brought close to Peter's. His brother's blue eyes were flashing dangerously.

"You little brat," Peter snarled. "What do you think you're doing!? This vest was brand new!"

"S-sorry," Tommy stammered. "I didn't mean to p-push you into the wa-water."

"I don't care!" With a grunt, Peter thrust Tommy onto shore, pulling himself out with a sneer. "And you think _Mum_ will go berserk? Pop's will have our heads."

Tommy coughed some of the water out of his lungs, stumbling to his feet. Peter, being a merciless big brother, shoved Tommy back into the lake, chortling darkly. When Tommy broke the surface, he gaped at the receding figure of Peter as he left for the castle. With a pout, Tommy climbed onto the grass and sat down so his legs were dangling inside the water. He rested his hands in his lap and gazed up at the sky.

"I'll be a better king… you'll see," Tommy mumbled, picking up a rock and throwing it into the lake with a _plunk_.

He sighed and flopped onto his back. Peter's favorite pastime was picking on him, making him feel inadequate. It was something that he had constantly tried to stand up to but Peter was relentless. Just because he was the older brother, he thought it was his job to put him in his place.

But all Tommy wanted was to be treated with as much respect as Peter got. It wasn't very fair.

A shadow cast over him and he craned his neck to see his mother standing over him with a kind smile. He smiled back and she sat cross-legged behind him. She lifted his head and rested it in her lap, ignoring the sopping wet mess that was his hair. Her jet black hair dangled over her shoulders and her blue eyes stared adoringly at her son as she brushed back a few stray hairs that were plastered to his forehead.

"Went for a swim?" she teased lightly.

"I accidentally pushed me and Peter into the lake," he confided. "Sorry, Mum…"

"Oh, Thomas, you have to be careful. You don't know your own strength," his mother said with a tiny shake of her head.

"I didn't mean it!"

"I _know_ you didn't… but these vests are brand new. Your father had them imported all the way from a little kingdom in Norway. A very special kind of fabric…" She trailed off when she realized how much this upset him. The Queen sighed. "I guess he'll have to deal with it this time, hm?"

Tommy beamed up at his mother. "Thanks, Mummy."

"Now come along, little one," the Queen said, helping Tommy to his feet. "It's time for tea. Maybe you and I can play a round of chess."

The Queen walked hand-in-hand with her son back into the castle. As usual, the halls were busy and full of servants, maids, and butlers. The head maid came up to the Queen with a bow before she whispered something rapidly about the youngest prince in the family.

"George is out of his bed again. We cannot find him anywhere…"

The rambunctious three-year-old was notorious for sneaking out of bed or baths or meals so this wasn't big news to neither the Queen nor Tommy. The maid, however, was flustered and looked almost offended that the little boy had defied her orders. The Queen laughed heartily and waved the maid off.

"Have you checked the throne room? There's a nook in there he is fond of hiding inside," she suggested.

"Yes… yes, quite. Right away, your Majesty," the maid said with a curtsy before rushing off to find the little prince.

"Georgie likes to get in trouble, huh Mum?" Tommy laughed.

"He certainly does," the Queen agreed. "Let's get you changed… you're dripping all over the floor and I do believe they were just washed."

"Oh… right! Sorry," he agreed.

After he was dressed into fresh, dry clothes, his mother led him into the dining hall. The King was sitting at the head of the table with Peter, who was sitting on his father's right. He sent Tommy a side glance and the tiniest smile that the younger of the two couldn't quite read. The Queen sat on the King's left, Tommy sitting beside her. The maid serving them their afternoon tea bustled around them, filling their cups and resting platters of tea sandwiches in front of them.

The King adjusted himself in his seat and skimmed his brown eyes over the document in front of him.

"Love… did we agree with France over the tax on cheese?" he said gruffly to his wife.

"We should have," the Queen replied. "But I wouldn't know. I've yet to look over what had been sent my way for approval."

"Mhm… of course."

"Father," Peter piped up hopefully. "D'you think _I_ could look them over after Mother?"

"No, son, you needn't worry about such matters until you're older," the King said with a heavy shake of his head. "Now… pass me along a biscuit."

Peter grunted under his breath and handed his father the plate. The King briskly removed a biscuit and nibbled on it, putting aside one document and picking up another. The Queen sipped daintily on her tea, Tommy staring critically in the steaming china that he cusped in his hands.

The doors suddenly burst open and little George ran inside, giggling and shrieking with joy as his nanny tried to catch him. George clambered up onto the chair beside Peter and held onto the arms of the seat, shaking his head wildly, his dark brown locks falling into his eyes.

"Come along now, Georgie," the nanny said softly.

"No! No! No!" he cried. "Stay!"

The nanny looked helplessly towards the Queen who shrugged with a smile.

"George is very stubborn at this age, dear. It's best if we let him do what he wants," she told her placidly.

"That'll lead to rebellion," the King said. "Look at our middle child. Spoiled rotten, he is, because of your reasoning."

The Queen shot him a glare as Peter cackled into his tea cup. Tommy didn't catch the little snap that was made about him, for he was jumping out of his seat and circling the table to get his little brother. He poked George in the arm and smiled down at him.

"Georgie, you should be asleep now," he said. "Listen to Nanny Katie. You'll grow big and strong like me—" Peter snorted. "—if you get to bed, yeah?"

"But, big brotha!" George whined.

"Don't you wanna get big and strong?" Tommy urged.

George nodded.

"Come on then! Race you to your bedroom. If you win, you can stay up. If I win, you gotta listen to Nanny Katie and nap."

The idea of a competition lit up George's eyes. He grinned a toothy grin and bounded off the chair, getting a good head start. Tommy ran after him, laughing and letting him win. Until they reached the long hall that contained the door to George's bedroom did the youngest prince believe he was going to beat his big brother. Instead, Tommy raced after him and quickly became the victor. George huffed and collapsed onto the ground, crossing his arms.

"Now… we had a deal," Tommy said, patting his brother's head affectionately. "Nap time, it is!"

With a long and dramatic sigh, George trudged into his bedroom with Nanny Katie following him, thanking Tommy silently on the way. Tommy nodded and saluted her joyfully before heading out to the training yard. He didn't care much for tea time and Peter was being a prude.

The stupid idiot.

No, Tommy wanted to play with the swords and watch squires train to become knights and defend their country. The young prince entered the yard and found himself in his natural element: the sounds of swords clanging together, the slurs that those who were sparring would shout at one another, and the commands of their knight-captain Duncan, who was standing by the entrance.

"Prince Thomas!" he roared with a scraggly grin, ruffling the boy's hair. "I was wondering when you would come about."

"I haven't missed the sparring session did I?" Tommy asked with hopeful eyes.

"Just started. Lucky you, lad," Duncan laughed. "Oi! You lot! Who wants to spar with our youngest champion, Prince Thomas?"

"I'll have a go!" offered one of the younger squires. He must have been around fifteen and was a few inches taller than Peter, so he stood over Tommy like a tower.

But the prince wasn't afraid of any challenge. He padded over to the discarded swords and picked one up that was half his size. He thrust it a little before nodding with determination.

"You sure you want to face me?" Tommy asked dangerously.

The squires laughed at the boy's malicious grin. They knew full well, however, that the prince wasn't one to mess with.

"Yeah, I can beat you with one hand tied behind my back, I can," declared the squire.

"Then you can make the first strike," Tommy said boldly, bowing low. "Go on, then."

And the squire did, swinging the sword up and then driving it down, only to meet the blade of Tommy with a loud _clang!_ The squire's eyes widened as the prince laughed, forcing him back with a hard kick. Tommy was too strong for his own good. With a triumphant smirk, he began to slash quickly and precisely at his opponent. The squire was stumbling over his own feet, meeting every attack with a good deflect but it was doing more harm than good.

Then with another powerful swing and a battle cry, Tommy forced the squire back, approaching and—

* * *

Eleven-year-old Thomas laughed loudly as he stood over his challenger, victory thrumming through his veins. The young squire shook his head in shock, trying to rid himself of the dizziness the prince had pushed him in. Thomas spread his arms and turned round to face the other squires, all of whom he had already beaten.

"Who's next!?" he shouted proudly.

His question was met by a series of groans, the knights-in-training rolling in mud with pain and sores that Thomas had boldly caused.

"I guess I win again," he said, sheathing his sword. "How many is that now, Duncan?"

"Lost count after twenty, your Highness," Duncan grinned from the training dummies.

"Shame… I thought that this lot would get better since I was eight, yeah?" Thomas laughed again, shaking his head almost pityingly. "I best be off. My brothers and I are heading out with Mum this afternoon."

"Good day, Prince," Duncan called after the retreating boy. "Say goodbye, boys!"

Again, the squires groaned, waving nebulously in farewell.

Thomas whistled as he strode back into the castle. His hair had grown and was now falling into his brown eyes. He had sprouted some, almost matching his older brother, who was now fifteen-years-old, in height. Young George, now six, wasn't as rambunctious as he had been when he was three, but he was certainly a rebellious one. But instead of getting in trouble for missing meals or naps, he got in trouble for breaking into the royal stables and riding the horses around the village without consent.

The three boys had become more competitive over the years as well. Peter, Thomas, and George always at each other's throats more so than their sides. Peter was still quite the bully towards Thomas and often called him weak. Although Thomas was a supportive big brother to George, he teased him relentlessly about staying short for the rest of his life, to which the youngest prince would protest.

As Thomas reached the second floor landing, he found his mother leave her bedroom with a grim expression on her face. Thomas frowned, knowing why she was so upset. Recently, their father had fallen ill but the family physician promised it was nothing major. Thomas didn't think so and he knew full well that his mother doubted the diagnosis, too.

"Mum," he said lowly so he wouldn't bother the King who was most likely napping.

"Oh, Thomas! Welcome back… my heavens, child, you're filthy," she said critically.

"Awh, Mum, relax. I was just sparring with those weaklings down in the training yard," Thomas told her with a grin.

She knit her brows together. "Thomas, darling… I know that Peter likes to put people down but it doesn't mean _you_ have to do the same. I raised you differently, I thought."

The prince chuckled as he and the Queen walked through the halls to collect the other two boys.

"You're right. I'm sorry, Mum. I guess all the sword play gets my ego going," he said with a kinder smile than before. "But when Peter does that to me…" He sighed, finally being able to speak freely and without judgement. "It makes me feel better when I do it to others." He fiddled with his fingers. "Mum… d'you think they let me win because I'm the prince and all?"

"No. They're taught to fight with all their strength and to never hold back," she said, squeezing her son's shoulder gently. "You're a strong boy, Thomas. You'll be a skilled fighter once you get old enough." She looked a little sad as she said, "You could join the military, if you wish."

"Yeah, right!" Thomas exclaimed with a short laugh. "Mum, I've got bigger plans."

She laughed with him, tousling his hair. "Is that so? Like what?"

"I'll be a king someday!" he declared. "Maybe not of England, but a king. I'll marry a beautiful girl and rule her kingdom alongside her." His eyes got all dreamy and his mother continued to laugh.

The middle prince was such a hopeless romantic at this age. Whenever he would journey into town to run errands for his parents, he would often hang around the marketplace and admire girls from afar. He was entering adolescence now so this behavior wasn't out of the ordinary. But the boy was also just as good-looking as the girls he admired so they didn't mind his lidded gaze and lazy smile.

Peter teased him about it brutally and asked what girl would ever fall for a clumsy, scrawny, moronic boy like him. This was usually followed by the princes fighting one another, George on the sidelines, cheering wildly until someone intervened.

The wonderful thing about Thomas was that he was so courteous to the girls in town. From peasant to lady, he would bow to them and help them over puddles, wipe the tears of a little girl, and tell someone how beautiful they were which would make them blush pure crimson. Whenever he would talk about marrying a princess, he would swear to putting her over the kingdom and never overrule her. He was a boy of modesty and pure heartedness.

He and his mother found George in his play room and Peter in the library. The two boys followed after them on their way outside to the horse drawn carriage that was to take them into the countryside. These picnics were Thomas' favorite things to do each month. To sit and watch the clouds go buy and look for shapes in the masses of water and air.

The ride was long, as usual, causing little George to become bored rapidly. He groaned dramatically and slithered onto the floor, slipping off his plush seat and collapse in a tiny heap on the floor. Peter glanced at him with distaste before turning his gaze back out the window, watching the buildings go by. Thomas, however, poked his little brother in the shoulder with his booted foot, grinning toothily.

"Oi, little bro," he said. "You alive in there?"

"Mmm," was George's impatient reply. "Mummy, are we there yet?"

"Not quite, darling, we still have yet to reach the city limits," the Queen said softly.

George groaned again and rolled onto his back, glaring up at the roof of the carriage.

"Nobody likes a whinger, Georgie," Thomas said. "Get on up, you prude, or you won't play catch with me and Peter."

"Unfair!" George whined.

"Fair," Thomas retaliated. "Sit back down!"

George stuck out his bottom lip but obeyed, slouching in his seat. The Queen told him to sit up straight and, again, George obeyed. Peter snickered under his breath, still gazing outside the window.

Once they reached the countryside and pulled over, Thomas was the first one out. He rushed over to the shade of their personal tree, a ball under one arm and the picnic basket in his fist. George followed him, waving the blanket over his head like a war flag, the Queen laughing at his heels. Peter sighed and ran a hand through his hair, trying to be dignified. Folding his hands behind his back, he walked after them briskly, fighting the urge to roll his eyes.

The Queen helped her youngest son spread out the blanket, Thomas throwing the ball at Peter. The eldest prince caught it with ease before tossing it back. George noticed them playing and stopped what he was doing, running over and trying to catch the ball in between his two brothers. The Queen smiled as she set up the picnic, glad that her boys were getting along for once.

After an hour of playing, George became discouraged and frustrated that he couldn't get the ball from his brothers. Thomas noticed this and called out:

"Throw it lower!" Thomas told Peter. "We should give Georgie a chance, yeah?"

"If he wants it, he'll work hard for it regardless of the circumstances," Peter shrugged.

Thomas glared at him. "Give 'im a break! He's little!"

"Like I care," Peter said.

"Peter, do listen to Thomas, please," the Queen agreed from the blanket.

With a harsh swear under his breath, Peter threw the ball as low as he wanted. But George didn't catch it. Rather, it whizzed by him and collided into Thomas' middle, knocking him off his feet. With a hard _oof!_, he fell to the ground and onto his back, Peter laughing.

"Bloody hell!" Thomas swore.

"Prince Thomas!" his mother scolded but Thomas didn't apologize.

He was glaring daggers at his older brother and biting his lip from the stinging pain in his stomach.

"What was that for!?" Thomas roared, getting to his feet and slamming the ball onto the ground.

"For being a prat and Mommy's boy," Peter said, stalking over to the picnic basket. He picked up a sandwich and a glass of lemonade, ignoring his mother's hurt expression. Instead of sitting with them, he sat underneath the tree a few yards from them and watched the countryside with a scowl.

Rubbing his stomach, Thomas went over to his mother and sat beside her, George sitting on his left. The Queen sighed and handed them their lunch without a word. Thomas bit into his sandwich and eyed his older brother, worry in his eyes. Although they didn't always get along, Thomas loved him anyway and was growing concerned with his constant distance. All he wanted was to help and be good friends again but ever since Peter was ten, he had been pushing Thomas (and George but not as much) away more and more.

Five years of this… he wondered if anyone else had to deal with siblings pushing them away and shutting them out.

"Mum… what's wrong with Peter?" George spoke up.

Thomas was shocked at this sudden question. So it wasn't just him apparently; George noticed this behavior, too. If it was obvious to George at this age, then Thomas was confident he wasn't going crazy.

In response, their mother sighed again with a sad smile. "He's going through a lot right now. The idea of your father being ill is weighing heavily on him… and, ah…" She gazed down at the confused expression George wore. "Let's just say Peter is worried, okay?"

"…Okay," George didn't sound convinced.

Thomas met his mother's eyes and they clearly read that they would talk about it later. With an understanding smile, Thomas gave her a gentle squeeze on her shoulder like she often did to him to show her affection. The Queen's smile grew and she continued to eat her sandwich.

The two boys ended up playing catch again and engaged their mother in a few rounds of hide-and-seek. Peter remained under the tree, his eyes lidded and his mouth fixed in a frown. He watched his family play together and pondered something his father had told him a few nights ago…

"_If you don't clean up your act, son, Thomas is going to be the heir. You're selfish and brooding and all you do is treat those under you with disrespect. This is not how your mother and I taught you to act. It's almost as if you're _trying_ to bring dishonor onto the royal family_."

Peter scowled and glared down at his middle brother as he tickled George mercilessly, their mother out of breath from their most recent game of tag.

_It wasn't fair!_ he thought.

Thomas didn't really care about being king— just finding a girl. The idiot didn't understand that the kingdom came before everyone and anyone, family or no.

He leaned his back against the tree's trunk and closed his eyes, hoping to slip into a quiet oblivion until the picnic was over. He hated coming out here like everything was fine back home. Everything _wasn't_ fine and his little brothers were living in ignorant bliss over all that was going on. He envied the amount of darkness that shrouded them from the reality of their father's growing illness. Peter was only given all the details about it because, if his father did pass away, he would become king once he turned eighteen.

Suddenly, a ball soared over and bounced inches above his head. His eyes flew open and saw a grinning Thomas standing before him, their mother and George sitting in the grass as they made daisy chains.

"What now?" Peter snarled.

"Can you be pleasant for _once_ and hang out with me?" Thomas asked, picking up the ball and offering it to Peter. "You and me. No George, no Mum… just us.

"No."

"Why not? Look, I dunno what I did to you but you've got to let it go for once and act like a proper brother."

All Peter did was stare at him with disinterest. Thomas huffed and folded his arms across his chest.

"Fine. Be a loner for the rest of your life. But I'll always be here for you," he said with a tiny smile before wandering back over to the picnic basket to snag some chocolate.

* * *

His journey into town wasn't supposed to be this long. He promised his mother that he'd be back by noon and it must have been well past two. But sixteen-year-old Thomas didn't care. He was currently seeking out the local flower shop girl, who was peacefully arranging the flowers into bouquets. She was exquisite, he thought, with long, dirty blond hair and magnificent blue eyes. Thomas was notorious for having a thing for blonde-blue eyed girls and several had caught his attention before.

But _she_ was different. He didn't know what it was about her… maybe it was her freckle dusted cheeks, the way her nose wrinkled when she laughed, or how kind she was to all who spoke to her. No matter, Thomas was smitten.

Again, he was also quite notorious for falling in love, or what he believed to be love, faster than most people. When he was thirteen, he had a tiny relationship with a servant girl in secrecy. But when he admitted clumsily that he was in love with her three weeks into the whole ordeal— although it was mere puppy love— and she had been too shocked and embarrassed to reply. Thomas asked if she loved him back and she, with guilty tears in her eyes, said no.

The experience did not discourage him, however, and he had a hard time learning from his mistakes. He promised himself that with _this_ girl, he was going to take it as slow as possible…

Hopefully.

She had yet to notice him staring from the jewelers shop so he thought this was a good start. Working up all the courage he could muster, he smoothed out his coat and walked towards her, the autumn air crisp in his flyaway hair.

"Um… beg your pardon, miss," he said softly. "May I buy some flowers?"

"Of course you may!" she said, turning around to face him, smiling brightly. "What kind were you…" She faltered as she realized who he was. "P-Prince Thomas?" He grinned sheepishly and she curtsied, inclining her head in acknowledgement and respect. "I apologize for the informal—"

"No, no, really," Thomas assured, brushing her cheek kindly with his hand, making her blush. "I don't mind. Frankly, I couldn't care less about being royalty. You may just call me Thomas, m'lady."

She giggled shyly. "All right then." She cleared her throat and folded her hands behind her back. "What can I get for you, Thomas?"

"First off, I'd love to know your name," he said brightly.

"It's Rose," she said.

"'A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,'" he recited. "Truly, a fitting name for a flower shop girl."

"My Mum says just so," she replied with a nod. "So… you would like to buy some flowers?"

"Ah, yes!" he said, taking out a leather pouch that held his money. "How much for a bouquet of two separate dozens?"

"What kind of flowers?"

"Anything, anything! I love all kinds of flowers."

"One shilling."

"Is that so? Well, what a brilliant price," he grinned, giving her the due amount.

She rushed around the outdoor stand to collect his purchase. He watched her as she worked quickly with nimble fingers, a smile stretching on his face. Rose plucked up several different kinds of flowers, examining them for any bruises or imperfections that wouldn't do to give to royalty. When she found the best of the best, she wrapped both of the orders up in paper and handed them to Thomas.

"Thank you very much," he said with a smile.

"Who are you giving them to? She must be one lucky girl," she said.

"One of these are for my Mum… the other is for you," he said, presenting her with the bundle of roses, daisies, and buttercups. "I wonder if you are able to enjoy your own flowers on a more personal level. I think you deserve as such."

Rose's face turned as red as her namesake. She took the flowers from him and he bowed his head.

"I'd love to see you again, m'lady," he said earnestly. "If you would allow me to, of course."

"…Sure," she said wistfully.

Tenderly, he took her hand in his and kissed it, leaving her breathless. Then he straightened and raised a hand in farewell.

"Until then. And thank you for the flowers," he said.

"Of course," she responded, watching him go before he vanished into the crowd. She smiled to herself and turned back to her shop.

Thomas was beaming, a bounce in his step and his heart singing. He made it back to the castle and found his mother waiting for him, her arms crossed and her brow lifting expectantly. As she opened her mouth to scold him, he handed her the flowers.

"For you, Mum," he said sweetly. "Now if you don't mind, I've a chess game I owe George."

The Queen stared down at the bouquet and then at her son as he practically bounded his way down the corridors and up to the library.

* * *

**So we have the beginning to Thomas' two-part story. The next chapter will be about his little fling with Rose and among other things. So for those of you who wanted to know what kind of person Thomas was, here you go. I hope to give you what you want about both Bernard and Thomas by the end of the extras.**

**Fav/Follow/**_**Review**_

**See you next time!**


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